Alternate Timelines Indeed
by Arigatomina
Summary: Yaoi, DBZGW crossover. When Duo and Quatre land on the DBZ's 'Earth', it's up to Heero and Trowa to find them, before Trunks and Piccolo stake their own claims.
1. Default Chapter

Author's notes: This takes place right before the Cell-games in the DBZ series, when they are waiting for Goku to get out of the hyperbolic time chamber. For the Gundam Wing part, this is somewhere after the pilots are in space with their Gundams, after Trowa gets his memory back.  
Category: Yaoi, crossover, Dragon Ball Z/Gundam Wing, partial AU on DBZ side  
Warnings: none for this part, READ the future PAIRINGS (I don't want any more flames for the pairings...)  
Pairings: 1+2/2+1, 3+4/4+3, will be Piccolox4, Trunksx2, 1x2, 3x4  
Author: Arigatomina  
Email: arigatoumina@hotmail.com  
Complete archive: www.geocities.com/arigatomina  
  
Alternate Timelines Indeed  
  
Part 1  
  
Their search had turned up nothing so far, and they were moving further from detailed space. It was futile, trying to find a single shuttle when it could have crashed onto innumerable planets. That wasn't even taking into account that it could be floating somewhere, anywhere. Since they had come separately to the coordinates, Heero couldn't see the ship Trowa was piloting. But they had their radios on for any incoming calls and his dark blue eyes flicked to the screen when Trowa contacted him. For a moment he looked at the sober boy, then he shook his head, glaring.   
  
"Their last transmission was from this area. It wasn't that long ago, have faith. We'll find them."  
  
"How can you have such hope?" Heero asked, eyes devoid of even the smallest spark. To him, it was simple. To even think that the shuttle might still be intact was hoping for too much and he was beginning to suspect that it had simply exploded. The transmission hadn't been more than a call for help, so they didn't know exactly what had happened.  
  
Looking at him over the view screen, Trowa let his pain show. "Because I know Quatre is alive. I can feel it in here," Trowa laid a hand on his chest, his green eyes closed for a minute before he looked at the other pilot. "So I have faith. And so should you. We know from their transmission that there was a hull-breach in their shuttle. They would have diverted to the emergency supply and set the shuttle into auto before they lost consciousness. Think about it, Heero. No one has ever traveled into this region of space. The chances of the shuttle's computer finding a planet with oxygen aren't as impossible as it seems."  
  
"Unlikely though," Heero muttered.   
  
Despite the cold voice, Trowa could tell that the Japanese pilot was willing to wait before consigning their comrades to death. "You wouldn't give up on Duo without looking for him. Would you? Don't you owe him enough to at least *try* to find him?"  
  
Glaring at the move made by Trowa, Heero glanced away from the screen as he continued to search the coordinates, looking for any planets near enough for the shuttle's computer to have homed in on. "I won't give up until you tell me Quatre is dead."  
  
"Don't say that," Trowa said sharply, his eyes blazing with pain for a moment before he suddenly clicked off the visual. "Quatre won't die on me. He gave me his word."  
  
* * *  
  
"The news report said something large crashed down near the ocean just a couple of minutes ago. I wonder what it was." Looking around the room at the others, Bulma shrugged her shoulders as a simple expression crossed her face. "Maybe someone should go check. It would be really bad if it was another enemy, especially since we're still waiting for Cell to show himself."  
  
"We are to watch the television," Vegeta said, giving the blue-haired woman a glare that screamed to all who saw him that he knew how slowly her mind worked. "We don't have time to go gallivanting around like *children* after a meteor."  
  
"It might be something else," Trunks said slowly, watching as his mother's expression turned hostile. "It's worth checking."  
  
"Go then, boy. There's no need for you to wait anyway. So long as *I'm* here when Cell shows himself, that's all that matters."  
  
Not bothering to argue with his conceited father, Trunks looked over at Krillin. The short bald man was watching Vegeta with a wary expression and Trunks sighed. As much as he loved his father for the simple fact that he *was* his father, there were times when he couldn't stand the man. Now was one of them as he saw the way he completely ignored everyone as if *he* were the only one whose words had any importance. Moving across the room, Trunks stopped by the short fighter, laying a light hand on his shoulder as the other man watched the angry Saiyan. Vegeta had turned again and was glaring at the television.  
  
They were waiting for Cell to show himself, as he'd said he would when he gave them his last message. He'd said to watch the television, and Trunks knew his father would be doing just that no matter how many days it was before the android showed himself. The others were anticipating Cell's arrival on the set as much as the short black haired man, but they weren't looking forward to it with the same anticipation as Vegeta. They knew what he refused to admit; none of them was strong enough to take the android on. Looking away from his father, Trunks fought the urge to glare as he met Krillin's curious gaze, his eyes moving to include Yamcha in his next statement.  
  
"I'm going to check out that site they were speaking of. Care to join me?"  
  
Glancing at the young man, Yamcha sighed. He looked at Vegeta for a moment before his eyes moved back to Trunks. He liked the boy. It was surprising to him, considering the fact that the boy's mother had been his girlfriend before she left him for Vegeta, but he really did like him. Glancing at Bulma, Yamcha looked at the small lavender haired baby she was holding, marveling at how much Trunks had grown in eighteen years. The boy had done them all a huge favor by traveling back from his time in the future in order to help them in their own, but that was the way he was. Trunks seemed to have missed out on inheriting his father's self-centered genes, showing worry for others the way Vegeta never had and likely never would. After glaring once more at the man who'd taken the only woman in his life, Yamcha nodded to the boy.  
  
"Krillin?"  
  
This was an easy decision for the small earthling as he pulled his gaze away from the intimidating Saiyan to look at the lavender-haired man who stood beside him. "Sure," he said quickly, eager to leave the testy man alone in his wait. Vegeta had a temper problem during normal times, but having been beaten easily by the green android had caused his fury to double. Krillin could just imagine how angry the spiky-haired Saiyan would be if he'd seen his son making so much progress where he'd completely failed. Smiling up at the blue-eyed Saiyan beside him, Krillin nodded, then glanced at Yamcha. "Let's go exploring."  
  
* * *  
  
Flying low over the ocean, Trunks led the way to the coordinates his mother had given him. It was true that the woman was absentminded at times, even bordering on ditsy, but she was also a genius in her own right and deserved more credit than his careless father gave her. She simply wasn't as self-absorbed as him, taking pleasure out of life in a way that Trunks found endearing to watch, especially considering how sad she always was in his time. Glancing at his watch where their position could be read, Trunks sighed as he thought about his time and how much things had changed since he'd come to the past trying to save his father and friends. He'd had no way of knowing that Cell would show up, absorbing the two androids who'd created hell in his world and doing his best to create hell here in the past. He'd thought the two androids were the only adversaries he'd have to face and that he would be of some help to the others in their battle. As it was, Cell was stronger than him, enough so as to make him look weak.  
  
He still remembered how he'd had to surrender after his painful battle with the confident android. If only his father hadn't been so stubborn, trying to defeat Cell all by himself. If only Vegeta hadn't held him back when Cell was absorbing the last android, he would no doubt have been able to destroy the monster before it reached its final, seemingly unbeatable form. But no, Vegeta's cocky nature had reared its ugly head. Trunks could still feel the betrayal he'd felt when his father had knocked him into the cliff as he'd tried to stop Cell. He would love the man because of who and what he was, but he would not like him. In fact, he might even have hated him for allowing the android the chance to become unstoppable. He wasn't sure at times.  
  
"Are we there?"  
  
Krillin's voice cut into his reverie and Trunks glanced down at the coordinates on his watch, scanning the islands below them. He pointed when he saw a bit of smoke, the other two following his hand till they spotted what he was looking at. Flying closer, Trunks frowned as he saw what appeared to be a space shuttle, much different from the ones his father had used, yet similar somehow. They landed near it, but far enough away so they wouldn't be in danger if the plane exploded. It wasn't that an explosion was likely to hurt them, but it would be a nuisance that was best to avoid if possible.   
  
"Hey, I think there's someone in there," Yamcha called, gazing through the intact windshield, rubbing at the filth that covered it as he tried to see inside. After a moment, he turned to Trunks and shrugged. "I can't tell much from out here."  
  
"There's a door over here." Not waiting for the other two, Krillin felt the outside of the square panel on the side of the shuttle, noting that the door was similar in design to an aircraft's door. He couldn't find a release, so he gripped the door and pulled it off the hinge. A wave of thin air flew out of the ship and he took a quick step back. "It reeks in there."  
  
Trunks moved past him, looking inside the ship cautiously before entering. It didn't take him long to find the pilots and he wasted no time lifting the two still bodies, one under each arm, and carrying them from the plane. Meeting Yamcha and Krillin's wide eyes, Trunks motioned for them to follow as he carried his load a reasonable distance from the plane before laying them on the ground. Krillin landed beside him, kneeling and touching one of the fogged up helmets.  
  
Crouching next to the other one, Trunks moved his hands over the neck of what was obviously a space suit as he searched for the release. He found it and lifted the shoulders of the figure so he could pull off the helmet. Then his eyes widened as he saw a young human boy. Very pale, the small blonde looked thirteen at the most. But he was breathing and Trunks heaved a relieved sigh before turning to Krillin. The man still hadn't gotten the second helmet off and he had to hide a groan. Krillin was just sitting there watching him. Moving to the other body, Trunks fought his anger as he remembered the one time he'd asked the short fighter to do something for him.  
  
It had been during his humiliating fight with Cell, and he'd asked Krillin to get his father off the battlefield while *he* distracted the android. Vegeta'd been injured badly enough for him to lose consciousness and Trunks wanted him taken to safety before Cell could finish him off. It had taken a while before Trunks realized Krillin had forgotten his one request. Seeing that his father was still lying where he'd fallen, Trunks had searched the sky, fighting his incredulous anger as he saw that Krillin was just floating there watching the battle and making no move to help the downed saiyan. It wasn't until Trunks had let himself get thrown around by the strong android that the short man had finally done as he'd asked.  
  
Moving to undo the second helmet, Trunks forced down his anger at the man's seeming uselessness, reminding himself that he sounded like his father when he criticized others. But he couldn't help resenting the man a little as he remembered the way he'd just watched, much as he was doing at that moment, standing next to him, just watching. Yamcha moved to the blonde boy and he let out a sigh before glancing down and pulled off the helmet. His breath caught when he saw the boy. He was beautiful. The realization was an odd one for him to have and he pushed it aside, checking this one as well. He was also breathing.   
  
Yamcha picked up the blonde and Trunks lifted the dark-haired boy, nodding at the man. He didn't glance at Krillin since he was sure that one wouldn't be of any use. Again, he shoved away his disparaging thoughts, fighting the way his anger tried to move as his father's did. Instead, he made himself smile at the short, bald man, nodding to him suddenly. "Let's get these two back to my mother's house. They could be injured."  
  
Krillin nodded back and took to the sky, the two young men following as they carried their burdens carefully, mindful of any injuries they might have. As they made their way back to the house, Trunks let himself look again to the boy he held in his arms, his eyes moving over the smooth face. He couldn't help but be in awe of the young boy's beauty, his features seemed so smooth. More refined than any human he'd ever seen, female *or* male. His dark lashes lay still against his cheeks, and even with his long golden-brown bangs falling into his face, his hair caught Trunks' attention as he noticed how fine it was. Thinking of his own thick, half-saiyan hair, Trunks wondered briefly what region the two boys had come from. They were different from the humans in this one, so he figured they must have come from a remote region.  
  
Glancing to Trunks as he flew beside him, Yamcha sighed. He'd noticed the way Trunks had taken charge of the situation and again felt his own inexplicable pull toward the boy. As much as he wanted to hate Vegeta's son, he couldn't. Not when he was so strong and...kind. Not to mention respectful and polite. Everything his headstrong father wasn't. Looking away from the boy's stern profile, the tall man shook his head, black hair not moving much as he looked forward again. He couldn't wait for the day that boy's calm exterior cracked and he realized what an asshole his father was. Yamcha couldn't help that either, he'd always hated the short saiyan, and he thought that he always would.   
  
* * *  
TBC 


	2. Part 2

Author's Notes: This fic *will* be Piccolox4. I have made this clear enough. Flames are accepted but not for the pairing, I've given enough warnings.  
Category: Yaoi, crossover, DBZ/GW, partial AU  
Warnings: none  
Pairings: 1+2/2+1, 3+4/4+3, will be Piccolox4, Trunksx2, 1x2, 3x4  
Author: Arigatomina  
Email: arigatoumina@hotmail.com  
Complete archive: www.geocities.com/arigatomina  
  
Alternate Timelines Indeed  
  
Part 2  
  
Quatre came to consciousness slowly, not moving as he listened to what sounded like talking. Out of habit, he opened his eyes the barest of cracks as he checked out his situation, not giving away the fact that he was awake. Then his eyes latched onto something that had him freezing in shock and not a little disbelief. There was a tall man standing in a group of people not far from him. The man had pointed ears and green skin. Fighting his urge to stare in shock, he kept his body still as he looked around the room as much as he could without turning his head. He was on a hard bed of sorts, and Duo lay in a similar one beside him. Looking at the longhaired pilot through his pale lashes, Quatre spotted a dark bruise on the side of his neck. His eyes flicked back to the group of strangers talking not far from him and he saw the green skinned man turn to look at him.  
  
Moving quickly, he sat up and slid off the bed, positioning himself so that his back was to the bed Duo was lying on. His hand slipped to where he'd stowed his gun and he waited as the people's attention focused on him. When a short man moved forward, Quatre pulled the gun, not pointing it, but holding it where it could be seen in plain warning. The short man stopped, eyes widening in surprise before turning to look up at the tall green man. Wondering if he had hit his head and was hallucinating, it was all the blonde pilot could do to hold his ground when the strange man moved toward him. Quatre flinched back, his pale blue-green eyes narrowed as he raised the gun slowly, aiming it at the man's chest.  
  
* * *  
  
As soon as they'd returned with the two boys, Bulma had them come down to the infirmary attached to the house. After checking them, she had pronounced them both human and healthy, although the brown-haired one had a bump on the back of his head that indicated he'd hit it pretty hard in the crash. Curious about the way the boys looked, Piccolo had joined Trunks, Yamcha and Krillin downstairs. Even Vegeta had pulled himself away from the television in order to see the strange boys, although no one was really sure why. They obviously weren't threats with their thin bodies. In comparison to the fighters' large muscles, they might as well have been girls.  
  
After answering his mother's questions regarding the shuttle, Trunks told her about his thought that the boys must be from a different region. Although she agreed that their looks were different somehow, Bulma was arguing with Krillin about the possibility of there being a technologically advanced region that they hadn't heard of when Piccolo straightened suddenly. With his keen hearing, he noticed the breath of one of the boys catch. Vegeta saw the Namek's attention turn and watched as the tall man moved his head to stare at the blonde boy. Following his gaze, he saw the boy leap out of the bed, stopping in front of the other unconscious one.   
  
Seeing the movement, the others dropped their conversation, and Krillin looked at the boy in surprise as the blonde pulled out a rather large handgun. Eyebrow raising at the thought of a gun stopping a fighter, Krillin halted, his gaze going to Piccolo. The tall man nodded sharply, moving to disarm the boy before he could hurt himself or Bulma, the others not being very susceptible to injury from a mere bullet. He'd no more than taken a step forward when the gun was trained on him and he blinked at the determination in the boy's eyes. He was protecting his friend. Stopping in his tracks, Piccolo was about to tell Bulma to talk to the boy when Vegeta took things into his own hands.  
  
The saiyan prince was disgusted that the boy hadn't been disarmed immediately, and he stalked forward, not the least bit put off by the threat of the gun. He was two feet from the small boy when he pulled the trigger. Raising a hand, Vegeta glowed with pale blue-white light for a second as he met the bullet unharmed, then he sneered. Movement blurred by speed, he snatched the gun up, holding it where the boy could see as he slowly tightened his fist, the metal crumpling in his grip. Not giving the blonde time to react, he backhanded the boy, knocking him into the wall as he glared. He took a step after the boy, but paused as a hand gripped his wrist.   
  
Vegeta turned his head slowly, raising an eyebrow at Piccolo's angry gaze. Glaring at the offending Namek, he jerked his arm out of his grip and turned to face him. "Don't interfere," he growled.  
  
"What do you plan to do?" the tall man asked scathingly as he stared down the saiyan. "Kill him? A human child?"  
  
"Man enough to threaten a saiyan," Vegeta said tightly. "I'll teach him respect."  
  
"No."  
  
Eyes widening slightly, Vegeta frowned at him. "Are *you* challenging me, Namek?" he asked slowly, a smirk marring his face as he looked over the tall man. "You wouldn't stand a chance." When the green man didn't flinch or look away, the saiyan glanced at the pale boy and made a noise of disgust as he shoved Piccolo out of the way and stalked to the door. "You're pathetic."  
  
Furious that the saiyan would attack someone so unable to defend himself, Piccolo took a step toward the fallen boy. Then he paused in surprise, eyes widening slightly as the blonde moved, pushing himself to his knees before climbing to his feet. The entire side of his face was coloring quickly, but the boy's eyes were calm as he faced the tall man, telling him without words that he'd had worse and come through victorious. Nodding to the boy, although he didn't speak, Piccolo closed the distance between them as he took hold of the boy's arms, lifting him momentarily and setting him back on the bed before stepping back and folding his arms over his chest. Eyes still wide, the boy frowned at him for a minute before turning his head to look at the other boy.  
  
"Now *that* was a mistake."  
  
Head snapping around, Quatre's eyes latched onto the short man who grinned, raising his empty hands in the symbol of peaceful intentions. His hands were clenched in fists at his sides and he watched as the other three people in the room followed the first's example and stepped forward. Looking from the woman with surprisingly light blue hair to the young man with shoulder-length, lavender hair, Quatre again wondered if he wasn't hallucinating. It wasn't too far-fetched of a worry since they'd been surviving on an impure oxygen supply for quite a while.  
  
"You really shouldn't have gotten on Vegeta's bad side so quickly. He's got quite a temper," the short man said, still smiling as Quatre's eyes took in the strange circles on his forehead.  
  
Quatre glanced at the four people, his eyes wanting to move to what he now thought must be an alien. Instead, he let his gaze settle on the short one who'd spoken, noting the fact that the man didn't seem to have a nose. Blinking, he looked closer then glanced at Duo again. "What's wrong with him?" he asked slowly, not sure what his status was or where he was.  
  
"Minor head trauma," Bulma said helpfully, looking at the boy with an easy smile on her face. "He'll be fine, I'm sure. Now then, what's your name?"  
  
Eyes moving to the alien again, he sighed as he shook his head slowly. This definitely wasn't OZ. Meeting the woman's friendly gaze, he took a deep breath and slowly relaxed his fists. "Quatre Reberba Winner," he said, head lifting with the pride he always felt when he gave his name. "And you?"  
  
Bulma gave her name before turning suddenly. She pulled a jar off a counter against the far wall and returned to the boy, pushing his chin up as she twisted off the lid of the jar and handed it to Trunks. Giving the suddenly wary boy a reassuring look, she smeared the cool cream on the large bruise that was darkening before their eyes. "I can't apologize enough for Vegeta," she said tersely as she applied the stuff.  
  
"No," Quatre said softly, doing his best not to flinch away from her touch. "I had a gun on him and he reacted accordingly. Besides, it's not as bad as it looks, I just bruise easily." Nodding at the woman's skeptical look, he smiled wryly. "I get the feeling he could have hit me a lot harder if he'd wanted to."  
  
"You're right about that," the short man said, returning his wry smile. "The name's Krillin and Vegeta could have sent you right through the wall if he wanted."  
  
Remembering the hot light that had stopped his bullet, Quatre didn't doubt his words. "Where is this?" he asked slowly, not sure if he should reveal where he was from. "I've never seen people like you." His eyes flicked to the tall green man before he snapped them back to the two who'd spoken to him.  
  
When the boy professed ignorance at the name of the city, Trunks looked up. He'd been glaring at floor, furious with his father for attacking the boy and a bit ashamed as well since he knew the boy could have been disarmed without violence. But that caught his attention. "You're not from this planet," he said suddenly, wincing at the dark bruise when the boy turned to look at him in surprise. The blonde slowly shook his head and Trunks found himself the receptor of everyone's stare. "It's obvious. Just look at him."  
  
Bulma shot her son a frown before leaning closer to the boy. She stared at him for a minute, then shook her head. "I've seen blonde boys before, Trunks."  
  
"Have you seen anyone who looked like him?" Trunks asked, pointing to the brown-haired boy who was still unconscious on the other bed.   
  
Moving to him, Bulma glanced from the boy to Quatre then back again. Then her eyes narrowed as she frowned at the blonde boy. "I think you're right. They're different. I'm not sure what it is..."  
  
"They're pretty."  
  
Eyes widening, Bulma whirled to pin Piccolo with a stunned look. Shrugging his shoulders, the Namek leaned against the wall as his eyes moved from the unconscious boy to the blonde, a smirk curving his lips when the blonde boy flushed lightly. "It's true."  
  
Nodding, Trunks found himself the object of Bulma's stare. Smiling, he looked at the pale boy. "I'm Trunks, this is Yamcha," he waved to the black haired man standing behind him, smirking when he saw his eyes moving over the boy's face as if Yamcha were trying to see what Piccolo and he had seen. "And that is Piccolo. He's a Namek."  
  
Nodding sharply, Piccolo watched the boy drag his eyes away from him, obviously fighting the urge to stare. "What are you?"  
  
Blinking, Quatre looked to the woman and frowned. "I'm human," he said, eyes widening at their surprised and dubious expression. "I'm from Earth."  
  
"So are we," Yamcha said slowly, feeling as confused as the boy looked. "This *is* earth."  
  
* * *  
TBC 


	3. Part 3

Author's Notes: There will be lemons for each of the four pairings. Just another warning in advance.  
Category: Yaoi, crossover, DBZ/GW, partial AU  
Warnings: none  
Pairings: 1+2/2+1, 3+4/4+3, will be Piccolox4, Trunksx2, 1x2, 3x4  
Author: Arigatomina  
Email: arigatoumina@hotmail.com  
Complete archive: www.geocities.com/arigatomina  
  
Alternate Timelines Indeed  
  
Part 3  
  
"That's not possible..." Staring at the black-haired man, Quatre shook his head slowly. //Can there really be two planets with people calling themselves humans? Two planets, both called earth?// His thoughts were interrupted by a soft groan from the bed across from where he sat, and he turned quickly, looking over Krillin's head to see Duo's hand move, lifted to touch his head as the boy slowly opened his eyes.  
  
"Anyone catch the name of the mobile suit that hit me?" Duo muttered, rubbing his eyes before pushing himself onto an elbow. Then he froze as his eyes caught sight of the room's occupants. "Uh, Quatre? Who're your friends?"   
  
Letting out a sigh of relief, Quatre smiled at Duo's warily confused expression. "I'm still not sure, but they're not OZ."  
  
"I could tell," Duo said slowly, staring at Piccolo for a moment, one eyebrow raised. "And I'd say we aren't in Kansas either." Catching Quatre's confused look, he shook his head, wincing when it hurt at the sudden movement. Hand moving to touch the bump, Duo frowned at Quatre, noticing the dark bruise before his eyes moved over the other people. Seeing movement at the back of the room, he grinned suddenly. "Who's the munchkin?"  
  
"Trunks! Goodness, I completely forgot you were down here. What are you doing, crawling around on the floor and getting all dirty." Smiling, Bulma moved to the small lavender-haired baby who was making his way towards them.   
  
Although his head was covered by a small cap, Quatre could see bits of hair sticking out over his forehead, and he stared at the baby's face for a moment before looking at the lavender-haired teen who was standing near them. "Is that your son?" Blinking at the shocked looks he drew, Quatre's eyes widened. "Well...he has the same name as you," he said to Trunks, his voice hesitant when the boy suddenly started laughing.  
  
Frowning, Duo looked from the laughing youth to the baby Bulma had picked up. "Actually, I think he looks just like you, Trunks, was it?"  
  
"He should," Krillin said, laughing at the mistake. "That *is* Trunks. He came back from the future, that's him in our time."  
  
Eyes moving to the funny-looking bald man, Duo suddenly grinned. "This is a dream, right? I mean, come on. Little--well, big green men and time travel? Hey Quatre, pinch me, would you?"  
  
Glancing at Duo, Quatre shook his head. "I don't think so. They say they're humans and that this is earth. As strange as this is, it isn't a dream."  
  
"Fine. Okay, if you say so." Looking at the people, Duo flashed them a quick grin. "Nice to meet you," he said quickly. "I'd love to stay, but we have a war to fight. Quatre, how long till we can go?"  
  
Blinking when the long-haired boy's expression when from bright to serious, Quatre frowned. "I don't even know where we are. And our shuttle..." He looked up at Bulma, who was standing next to the bed. "Did it make it?"  
  
"I don't know," Bulma shrugged. "Trunks? I'll have to see it."  
  
"I don't know what you guys are doing down there, but get up here quick! Cell's on the television!"  
  
The voice carried down the stairs, and was like an electrical current. Jerking, Bulma and the Z fighters made a B-line for the stairs. Staring at each other in shock when they abruptly found themselves alone, Duo and Quatre blinked for a moment.  
  
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Duo said lightly, sliding off the bed and heading for the stairs. "You can walk, right?"  
  
Nodding, Quatre joined him.  
  
* * *  
  
"Oh man, this is bad," Krillin moaned, staring at the television.  
  
"He's *mocking* us," Vegeta said, his voice low as he glared at the image.   
  
"Well, I guess if we all train one of us may be able to do it," Trunks said slowly. "We have time to train some more."  
  
"Don't be so stupid, none of you stand a chance against him. The only one who can defeat Cell is me." Shoving past the others, Vegeta moved toward the door, but he paused when Trunks got in his way.  
  
"Father, we can't think like that. We have to wait for Goku and Gohan to get out of the hyperbolic time chamber. It's the only chance we have," Trunks said, voice low as he tried to get through the saiyan's ego.  
  
"I do *not* have to wait for *Kakarot*," Vegeta growled, shoving the boy the side. "I'll take Cell out on my own."  
  
//Father...your pride is going to be the end of you. Why won't you listen to me? Can't you see we have to wait?// Staring after the saiyan, Trunks clenched his fists uselessly. There was nothing he could do and he knew it was no use trying to talk to the man. He simply wouldn't listen.  
  
"He's your father?"   
  
Glancing around, Trunks flushed as he saw Duo and Quatre standing near the stairs. With everything that had happened, he'd completely forgotten the boys. "Yeah."  
  
"Is...Kakarot?...is he your father's enemy, or your ally?" Quatre asked, one hand curled lightly at the base of his throat, over his chest. He had sensed something from the black-haired man, his anger was so deep it was frightening.  
  
"Well, you could say Goku, that's what we call him, he's like Vegeta's rival. He can't stand him. But Goku is the strongest fighter we have. Father's just too stubborn to admit he can't do this alone."  
  
"There's more than that," Quatre said slowly, looking at the floor for a moment before meeting Trunk's pale blue eyes. "I think it hurts him that you have more faith in Goku than you do in him. It isn't just pride." While he didn't doubt the rage came from a long-kept anger, there had been flashes in those glaring black eyes.  
  
Seeing the lavender-haired boy's shock at Quatre's words, Duo glanced at the others, looking at the television for a moment before pushing away from the doorway he was leaning against. "So who is this Cell? And why does he want to have a tournament with you?"  
  
"He's an android," Trunks said shortly, still stunned as he thought about what the blonde boy had said. He had never even entertained such a notion as the one Quatre put forth, and he simply couldn't imagine it. His father cared nothing for him, he knew that for a fact. It was possible that Vegeta was angry that everyone had faith in Goku, but he didn't think the man could be hurt and certainly not by him.  
  
"He's the worst monster this planet's ever seen," Krillin said vehemently as he moved to stand in front of Duo. "He's horrible. He just wants this tournament so he can humiliate us before he destroys the planet. Vegeta's a fool. There's no way we can win without Goku."  
  
Catching the angered look Trunks shot the bald man, Duo eyed Krillin. The short man seemed completely oblivious to the anger directed at him. "What's your name?"  
  
Krilling blinked in surprise, smiling as he moved a hand to scratch his head with embarrassment. "Krillin."  
  
"Well, Krillin. If you don't have a chance against Cell, then why are you worrying about it? Just stay here until it's over. Leave the fighting to those who can fight." Not bothered by the man's shocked and slightly insulted look, Duo shrugged. "Well, you did say the only one who could do anything was this Goku. So why would you go?"  
  
"I'm a Z fighter," Krillin said, as if that explained everything. "We stick together."  
  
Meeting Quatre's eyes, Duo grinned. "They sound like us, neh? Gundam pilots stick together even if we have no chance of winning."  
  
"You're fighters?"  
  
Looking up at the incredulous tone, Quatre saw Piccolo move forward. "Yes. We don't fight androids though, we don't have those where we come from."  
  
Eyeing the small boy, Piccolo's eyes narrowed. "You don't look like a fighter."  
  
"Neither does Heero without his suit," Duo put in, not liking the way the Namek was looking down on his friend. "Our strength is in the suits we use. Mobile suits. I guess you guys don't have those here."  
  
"I don't know what those are," Piccolo said, still eyeing Quatre. "We rely on our own power to fight. But even that isn't enough to beat Cell."  
  
Seeing Duo's confusion, Trunks sighed. "Do you have power? Like this?" Raising a hand, he raised his power level ever so slightly so a light blue-white fire seemed to flow over him.   
  
Duo's eyes widened in awe, and he took a quick step forward, his hand moving to feel the heat and energy radiating from the saiyan. Shaking his head, he looked at Trunks for a moment before turning to Piccolo with respect in his eyes. "Can you do that too?" he asked, letting out a soft oath when the green skinned man nodded sharply. "Wow. I guess it's understandable that you don't see us as fighters then. This is amazing. And that android, Cell, he's stronger than you?"  
  
"Than me," Piccolo said, voice harsh.   
  
"Stronger than all of you?" Quatre asked softly, trying to imagine such power.   
  
"None of us has been able to stand against him."  
  
"Even together? I can't imagine."  
  
"You won't have to," Krillin said quickly, jumping back into the conversation as Quatre's eyes moved to him. "You'll see when that tournament starts. But then, we'll have Goku there too. Who knows, maybe he and Gohan, his son, have gotten strong enough to defeat Cell."  
  
"You guys really rely on him, don't you. This Goku?" Frowning, Duo suddenly moved back to where he'd leaned before, folding his arms over his chest as he stared at the floor. //Just like us with Heero. Heero...//  
  
* * *  
  
//He just refuses to give up. He must really...love him.// Face blank as he watched Trowa scanning the coordinates again, Heero clenched his teeth. They had decided on using a single shuttle, but there was no sense of shared hope at all. //But that makes him as much of a fool as me. Only he has no excuse for not telling Quatre how he felt. They're so close, it's obvious. As for me, I never share my feelings.// Remembering the last angry words he'd shared with Duo, he gripped the armrest of his chair, squeezing it until it creaked ominously causing Trowa to glance in his direction.  
  
"I think I may have found something," Trowa said, voice toneless as always. "If my estimates are right, they would have been here when the hull was breached." Pointing to a spot on the map in front of him, he looked back to Heero. "The trajectory should have sent them in this direction. If we assume they maintain a straight course, we should be able to follow them."  
  
"Trowa, you're forgetting the air supply. The oxygen would have run out hours ago."   
  
Meeting Heero's cold eyes, Trowa glared for a moment before turning away. "You don't have to go with me. It's obvious you've given up hope, and I don't want you with me if you're going to keep saying things like that. There's no reason to. If I follow this course, I'll find out, one way or the other. No matter what, I'd rather know."  
  
"I'm going," Heero said, voice not leaving Trowa any room to disagree. "Hope is foolish at this point but..." Looking down, his eyes narrowed as he clenched his fists again. "I want to know, too."  
  
* * *  
  
TBC 


	4. Part 4

Author's Notes: I am a GW writer, and that is the series I know the best. My knowledge of DBZ and its characters is minimal, so the representations may be questionable. However, I do not consider this out of character, it is my interpretation of the characters from the series I've seen (though, I've also seen the Boo saga and my version of Vegeta may shadow that later).  
Category: Yaoi, Gundam Wing / Dragon Ball Z crossover fic  
Warnings: none at moment  
Pairings: will be Trunksx2, 1x2, Piccolox4, 3x4  
Title: Alternate Timelines Indeed  
Author: Arigatomina  
Email: arigatoumina@hotmail.com  
Complete Archive: www.geocities.com/arigatomina  
  
Part 4  
  
"I have to go back now." Nodding, Piccolo turned toward the door.  
  
"Are you going to wait for Goku?" Trunks asked.  
  
"Yes. I only came so I could see what had landed on the earth. Now I will wait for Goku and Gohan to get out, they're our only chance now." Without another word, he left the room.  
  
Glancing at Vegeta who'd come back after his abrupt exit, Bulma raised her eyebrows when he pulled his shirt over his head and stalked after the Namek. "What are you doing, Vegeta?"  
  
"Know this," the saiyan ground out, staring at her and Trunks who moved to stand beside her. "I don't care about this planet or the people, but I *will* kill Cell."  
  
"Trunks, wait!" Catching the boy when he made to follow his father, Bulma smiled. "I know you'll go to, but let me cut your hair first. It could get in the way."  
  
Wincing when his father snorted, Trunks gave her a weak nod. "Thanks."   
  
* * *  
  
"Where did they go, Miss Chee-Chee?" Taking a sip of his tea, Quatre looked at the black-haired woman. "Where *is* Goku?"  
  
"Oh, my husband and son are training right now in the hyperbolic time chamber." Seeing the blonde boy's confusion, she smiled proudly. "It's a room where they can spend an entire year while in the real world only a day has passed. They're very brave to be able to do that. Imagine, spending an entire year away from your mother, my poor Gohan."  
  
Smiling to keep her from noticing Duo's raised eyebrow Quatre nodded. "I'm sure he misses you very much."  
  
"Yes, my poor boy. It's all his father's idea you know. Taking him off to train when he could be studying. Goku just doesn't understand the importance of education."   
  
She frowned slightly and Duo poked Quatre's shoulder as he recognized the beginnings of a rant. He'd spent enough time around Wufei to know the signs. Smiling again, Quatre leaned forward over the table. "Education is very important. I suppose your husband is simply worried about Cell."  
  
"Yes." Staring at Quatre, she leaned forward then gave him a brilliant smile. "You're such a polite boy. Gohan would do well to have friends like you to get his mind off fighting. He's a very smart boy."  
  
"Krillin! Stop right there!"  
  
Quatre jerked back as the woman's eyes narrowed and she turned to glare at the three men standing across the room. Following her gaze, he saw Krillin halt, hands curled into fists. Wondering what he'd missed, he glanced up at Duo who was leaning against the wall, but the boy shrugged.  
  
"You know good and well you don't stand a chance against Cell. I for one forbid you from going." Frowning, the old man put a hand on the short earthling's shoulder. "If you're set on fighting him, join his tournament. Otherwise I suggest you wait for Goku to get out."  
  
Catching Quatre's eye, Duo nodded toward the men then sidled back farther along the wall. With no one watching him, he made his way across the room. It wasn't that he felt he had to sneak, but everyone was on edge and he didn't want to have a long, drawn out explanation of why he needed to talk to Bulma. Heero would have snorted at the thought of him not wanting to talk, but there were times when talking was more trouble than it was worth. Slipping through the door, he made his way down the dark steps and stopped outside metal doors as he looked through the glass. She was there with the man he'd found to be her father, but it looked as if they were operating on someone. A very large someone. Waiting until both had paused and were talking, he tapped lightly on the door.  
  
Blinking as she spotted him, Bulma left her father with android sixteen and walked to the door. She opened it with a smile. "Duo. How is your head?"  
  
Giving her an abashed smile, he shrugged. "I'm fine. Listen, I know they said you were busy but I really wanted to ask you something." Glancing over as the figure on the table didn't move, he grimaced. "Are you operating?"  
  
"Him? Oh, he's an android." Laughing when Duo blanched, she shook her head. "He's okay I guess. He says he's on our side so we're trying to fix him up. But we have time, what can I do for you, Duo?"  
  
"Well, I feel bad about asking now when you guys have so many problems but it's pretty important to us that we get to our shuttle. If you could lend us some sort of transportation, we would be very appreciative." Smiling as he wondered what Quatre would think about his people skills, he managed to keep his impatience from showing. "I'm sure we could figure out how to pilot whatever you could lend us."  
  
"It's awfully dangerous," Bulma said hesitantly as she eyed her father. "Cell is wrecking havoc everywhere. I probably shouldn't let you go alone. But..." She smiled suddenly. "Dad, you can finish this, can't you?"  
  
"Of course," the man said, watching her with a tolerant expression. "You've mapped out what you want done well enough."  
  
"Great. In that case, Duo, we can go see your shuttle."  
  
"Um, you don't have to go," Duo said quickly, "Really, we'd be fine. There's no reason for you to risk yourself."  
  
"Don't be silly. I take risks all the time, right Dad?" Grinning when he nodded solemnly, she turned and folded her arms over her chest. "You go with me or not at all. Don't worry, Duo."  
  
"What about him?" Duo asked, pointing to where Trunks was sleeping in a crib to the side of the room.   
  
"Oh, he can go. I usually take him with me everywhere. Well, come on, let's get out of here before any of the others decides to come back. I hate it when they gripe at me about risks." Grabbing the baby, she brushed by Duo and he turned quickly to follow.  
  
* * *  
  
"Ow! Is he supposed to be so strong?" Glaring daggers at the grinning baby in his lap, Duo raised an aggrieved eyebrow at Bulma as his braid was tugged again.   
  
"Of course," Bulma said proudly, including Quatre in her smile as she piloted the small shuttle. "He's half saiyan, after all."  
  
"What is a saiyan?" Quatre asked, wincing when the lavender-haired baby began to chew on the tip of Duo's braid. He could imagine how hard it was for the American to put up with such treatment of his most prized possession.   
  
"Oh, they're from a different planet," Bulma imparted as she angled the shuttle downward to avoid a flock of geese, and nearly throwing Quatre forward as the boy gripped the seats tightly. "Goku and Vegeta are the only saiyans left. Gohan, Goku and Chee-chee's son and my little Trunks here are half saiyans. I guess they're not as strong as their fathers because, as Vegeta likes to say, they're diluted. But Gohan is really strong and so is Trunks so maybe their human side isn't such a bad thing, neh?"  
  
"Well, he has strong lungs!" Duo said loudly as the baby started to wail when he pulled the braid away. Groaning, he shoved the tip back in its mouth and leaned against the seat. //A chew toy. That's just great.// It worked though, and he felt an urge to cry as the half-saiyan drooled and gummed his hair in an enthusiastic manner. "Are we almost there?"  
  
Grinning when she glanced at the baby, Bulma ruffled his head, mussing his little hat, "He's so cute. Yeah, we're about there, it'll just be a little while."  
  
When they landed, Duo quickly gave the baby to his mother, wincing when it wailed but holding firm. Bulma smiled and waved him toward the shuttle as she made baby noises and cheered her son up. With Quatre right beside him, Duo headed toward the back of the craft, letting out a very relieved sigh as he found it intact. They headed for the front, and paused when they found the door ripped off. "They weren't kidding about their strength," Duo said as he climbed in. "Think the door locks still work?"  
  
"They should," Quatre said quickly, sliding into the pilot's seat as his fingers flew over the panel. "We've got power! I'm opening the lock."  
  
"Great!" Duo called from the back, waiting impatiently as the doors slowly slid open. "They're fine!"  
  
With a relieved smile, Quatre ran a check on the system. They'd had serious problems with their radar system as they'd headed toward the rendezvous point where they were to meet up with the others. It hadn't been caught until they found themselves in an unknown area. Unfortunately, as soon as they'd found out their system had a glitch, they'd been caught by something. There had barely been enough time to send out a distress call before the extraneous systems had shut down, all power routing to life-support. Checking the systems revealed the glitch, but he still didn't know what to do about it. "Duo? I'm at a loss."  
  
"Gotcha." Moving to the front, he put a hand on the boy's shoulder and smiled lightly. "Go check on your friend while I see if I can't figure this out. He looks fine, but I know you want to see for yourself."  
  
"Thanks, Duo."   
  
* * *  
  
"What?! Where did they go?" Glaring, Trunks folded his arms over his chest as he looked at his grandfather. "Don't they know it's dangerous with Cell out there?"  
  
"Well, Bulma went with them. I think they were going to their shuttle." Shrugging, the man gave a helpless smile. "You know I can't talk any sense into that woman."  
  
"I am sensing two power levels." Jerking, both looked to Sixteen whose eyes snapped open as he looked at them, not sitting up. "I have no records of this type of power, and I cannot rank it on my scale."  
  
"Where?"  
  
Turning his head to look at the half-saiyan, Sixteen blinked. "Near the location your friends went to."  
  
"Trunks! You don't know what it is..." Frowning when the young man was gone before he'd finished speaking, he glared at the android. "Just like his mother."  
  
* * *  
  
"What technology! I'd love to take those apart." Waving her hands when the two suits turned green glowing eyes on her, Bulma grinned. "Don't worry, I wouldn't do that. I might not be able to get them back together again. But really, they're so big."  
  
Opening Sandrock's hatch, Quatre knelt so he could look down at her. "Is there some place we could keep them till we can fix our shuttle? These suits are very important to us and we can't just leave them here."  
  
"Quatre, we can hide them in the ocean, I do it all the time."  
  
Looking up, the blonde boy shook his head. "Where? It would have to be near land unless we can get some diving equipment."  
  
"Hey, it's not a problem," Bulma called, her eyes still moving over the two suits as if she couldn't wait to get her hands on them. "Let's just bring them back to my place. They're not *that* big. You can leave them in the hangar where I keep my shuttles."  
  
"You won't try taking them apart, will you?" Duo asked, his tone humorous yet a bit wary.   
  
"Of course not, but I would like to study them if it's okay with you."  
  
"That's fine," Quatre said quickly. "Do you have any trucks big enough to carry them? We can walk them to the inland if you can get some transportation. I know you don't want to attract attention, and our suits aren't equipped to fly."  
  
"Yeah, too bad we don't have Wing Zero," Duo muttered, "but we don't."  
  
"Duo..."  
  
"I know." Glaring, he sighed and looked to Bulma on the screen. Then he flinched as a beeping went up. "Quatre! Radar!"  
  
Jumping back into the cockpit, Quatre looked anxiously to Bulma. "Something's coming fast."   
  
"Is it Cell?!" Holding the baby tightly to her, she turned and ran to her shuttle as the two suits moved to stand in front of it. As impressive as the suits were, she knew that not even a tank had stood a chance against the android.   
  
"I'm not reading any metals, it can't be an android."  
  
Shaking her head as she switched to their radio frequency, Bulma stared at the sky anxiously. "Cell isn't made of metal! He's an android with living flesh, not a robot."  
  
"It's getting closer," Quatre called, pulling his blades as he shouted to Bulma. "Get out of here! If nothing else we can stall him while you get some distance, do you have anyone you can call?!"  
  
"Yes." Starting the engines, she lifted the shuttle quickly, snapping her harness in place as she phoned the others.   
  
"Two miles and closing, eighty knots."   
  
Nodding, Duo crouched forward over the controls, eyes glinting as he grinned. "Never fought an android before, eh Quatre?"  
  
"Hey you two! Dad says it's okay," Bulma called, hovering above them. "It must be Trunks!"  
  
"Are you sure?!" Duo demanded as the moving blip got closer on the screen. "Are you absolutely positive?!"  
  
"Well, no...but..."  
  
"Then get the hell out of here!"  
  
Flinching at the order, Bulma frowned but turned the shuttle, firing the engines as she flew in the opposite direction. //Boys. They have to be so macho.//  
  
* * *  
  
Flying fast, Trunks fumed as he couldn't sense the powers the android had spoken of. Wondering if Sixteen could have been wrong, he flew in high with the sun at his back. His eyes narrowed when he caught a glint and recognized Bulma's shuttle as it flew away from him. Then he halted as he caught sight of the two gundams, his mouth falling open at the strange human-like machines.  
  
* * *  
  
"Duo, do you see?"  
  
"Got it." Not moving, he looked at the figure on the screen. "Get a hold of Bulma and send her the image. This isn't that green thing we saw on the television." Watching the figure glowing with a yellow fire, he waited impatiently.  
  
"She says it's Trunks!"  
  
"No way..." Frowning as he watched the blonde figure, Duo gritted his teeth for a moment before cursing. "If she says so. She'd know her own son." Powering down, he hit the release, then moved to stand on the platform before the cockpit, his eyes bright as he looked up. //They can fly...that's so *cool*.// "Get Bulma back here," he called, turning toward Sandrock. "Guess she was right."  
  
"She's already on her way." Turning, Quatre powered down as well.  
  
"Figures." Blinking when the figure suddenly flew to them, Duo frowned at the blonde hair as he recognized Trunks. The boy came to a halt before them, seeming to stand in midair. "Nice hair, Trunks."  
  
His eyes flew from Duo to the black and white suit, then upward as Bulma brought her shuttle down behind the suits. The woman jumped out with a wide smile but he did nothing to hide his glare. "What are you doing out here? It's dangerous." Landing, he changed back as she smiled and came to a stop beside him. "Why didn't you have someone go with you?"  
  
"Relax Trunks, we're fine. Besides, look at these machines, aren't they great?"  
  
"Sure," Trunks said quickly, unable to argue with her. "What are they?"  
  
"Gundams," Duo said proudly as he gripped the cable that lowered him to the ground. Grinning, he walked to them. "These are the suits we fight with, mine's Death Scythe here, pretty cool, huh?"  
  
"Yeah," Trunks nodded, staring up at the black suit uncertainly as he eyed the long staff that had sported a glowing scythe when he'd arrived. "They must be the energies Sixteen sensed."  
  
"He could sense them?" Bulma demanded, squeezing baby Trunks as she moved closer, eyes wide. "But they're just machines." Her eyes seemed to glow with a slightly maniacal light that Trunks recognized as her inventor's spirit taking charge and he took a quick step back. "I have to check this."  
  
"Can't it wait?"  
  
Glaring at Trunks, she shoved the now squalling baby at Duo and turned on her heel. "No! If *he* can sense them, Cell can too!" Running, she entered her shuttle and emerged with a small pad of some sorts held triumphantly in her hand. "If he sensed them I'll bet he's going crazy wondering what they are."  
  
"Oh." Wincing when his younger self let out an indignant wail, he glanced at Duo who blushed lightly before shoving his braid into the chubby baby's hands. The tip was promptly inserted into its mouth.  
  
Uncomfortable, Duo glared. "You weren't a very well behaved kid, were you."  
  
Flushing, Trunks looked at the baby who was making happy noises as he chewed on the hair. "Sorry."  
  
"Yeah. Well, if he starts coughing up hairballs, don't blame me. It's either this or let him pull my hair out." Managing an embarrassed grin, he looked up at Quatre who was sitting on the edge of the platform. "Hey Quatre, wanna babysit? As many sister as you have it should be natural, right?"  
  
"I've never held a baby," Quatre said quickly, hands up as he shook his head. "My sisters are all older than me and I've never met any of their children."  
  
"Figures." Hefting the heavy kid higher, Duo watched as Bulma stood at the base of his Gundam running her hands over it as she stared at the thing she was holding. "Anything?"  
  
"No." Walking to Sandrock, she checked her instrument again. "Is this thing on?"  
  
"Sandrock," Quatre said, standing. "Hold on a second." Entering the cockpit, he powered the Gundam with a low hum. Clicking visuals on, he watched them.  
  
"That's it! I'm reading *something* but I'm not sure where it rates."  
  
"Could Cell pick it up?" Trunks asked, his attention caught by the green glow in the Gundam's eyes.   
  
"Maybe. Hey, Quatre! Better shut it down." Grinning when he did so, she turned to Trunks. "We've got something here. Now we just have to get them back to the lab."  
  
* * *  
TBC 


	5. Part 5

Author's Notes: Any corrections on the DBZ history are welcome and should be sent to my email address. Arguments over my portrayal of gundanium will be considered but also countered with my theories.  
Category: Yaoi, crossover of Dragon Ball Z and Gundam Wing, TWT, partial AU on DBZ side  
Warnings: none, mostly dialog and explaining on both sides, DBZ and GW  
Pairings: will be Trunks x 2, Piccolo x 4, 1x2, 3x4  
Author: Arigatomina  
Email: arigatoumina@hotmail.com  
Complete Archive: www.geocities.com/arigatomina  
www.fanfiction.net under Arigatomina  
  
Alternate Timelines Indeed  
  
Part 5  
  
"You know," Duo smiled over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off the sky. "You probably could have *carried* them there, right? I mean, you guys are so strong it's ridiculous."   
  
Trunks glanced out the window of the shuttle, taking note of his mother's position as she flew her small craft near them, making sure the boy didn't get lost. Actually, he was sure she just didn't want to be left at home since he could easily have seen to it that they found their destination. This was the largest shuttle she had, and he fought the urge to look back to where the two suits lay in the hold as he thought about Duo's words. "I probably could have, but they *are* heavy, and it would attract attention. I really haven't tried to *carry* things, mostly it's the power that we use, not our actual strength. Unless we're fighting hand-to-hand."  
  
"Yeah, I can see how that is," Duo nodded. "We generally do a lot of fighting hand-to-hand, I mean, Deathscythe isn't really made for long-distance fighting. Mostly, I have to get pretty close to do *real* damage. Same with Sandrock."  
  
Quatre nodded, turning to look at the lavender-haired boy standing between his and Duo's seats. "There are five Gundams, and of them only two were really made for long-range combat. I know Trowa's lost when he runs out of bullets, not that he doesn't have something to fall back on, but his Gundam was designed for that style of fighting. Each of them is designed differently so we each excel at a certain skill."  
  
"So there are three more suits like yours?" Trunks asked, finally giving in and glancing back to the two Gundams. "How long did they take to make? I would think you'd want to make more of them if they're powerful enough to defeat your enemies."  
  
"That's an idea," Duo muttered, "but unfortunately, not just *anyone* can be trusted to pilot a Gundam. Besides, they aren't easy to use. I don't think the average pilot could handle them." His eyes narrowed as he remembered his brief stint in Wing Zero and he shook his head, ridding himself of the image. "But we can't just make an army of them. If OZ got a hold of them, we'd be finished. Our biggest advantage is in our suits and the fact that they're more advanced than what OZ has. Especially since they're equipped for battle in outer-space now."  
  
"In space? Are they like shuttles then, made so they keep a supply of oxygen on board?" Before either boy could answer, Trunks' eyes widened suddenly and he looked to Duo. "You two *do* breath oxygen, right?"  
  
"Of course." Duo laughed for a second, but he understood why the boy would ask since they *were* from a different planet. For all he knew, Trunks and Piccolo didn't breath oxygen. He didn't know much about them at all, so the question had merit. "Yeah, they're made so they're air-tight. That's why we can take them under water although," he smirked proudly, "Only *my* thermal weapon works underwater so we don't fight much like that."  
  
"Duo." Quatre shook his head, a tolerant smile gracing his face as he saw the violet-eyed boy's proud smile. "You're horrible." Glancing at Trunks, he gave a helpless shrug. "We tend to grow attached to our suits, they're like friends to us."  
  
"Are they thinking, then?" Trunks asked, his eyes flying back to the suits again. "I thought they were just machines."  
  
"They are," Duo said quickly. "But sometimes I wonder if the computer systems installed in them don't come close to artificial intelligence." His eyes moved to Quatre, and he smirked as he remembered how the blonde boy's gundam had moved on its own. "That would explain why they seem more like beings than machines. I admit, I talk to Deathscythe all the time."  
  
"And Sandrock...he's more than just a suit." Quatre flushed a bit as he looked at his folded hands, but he couldn't help but smile. "He's saved my life more times than I'd care to count."  
  
"Yep." Making sure he had Trunks' attention, Duo nodded his head toward Quatre. "This guy here actually tried to self-detonate and his gundam...wouldn't let him. I mean, it actually waited until he'd gotten out and had made it to safety before it detonated on its own. If that isn't some kind of intelligence, I don't know what is."  
  
"Self-detonated?"  
  
"All of our gundams are equipped to destruct," Quatre said, his expression growing somber despite his fond memories of how Sandrock had spared him. "We can't risk letting them fall into the hands of the enemy, so if we're going to lose anyway, we can take out both the gundam...and the pilot..."  
  
"You're talking about suicide," Trunks nearly whispered, his pale blue eyes widening in shock as he looked at the two boys. "You would kill yourself just to keep these suits away from your enemies? Are they really that valuable?"  
  
"Well, there's also our knowledge as pilots," Duo said. He was beginning to regret the discussion, but he was also marveling at the fact that he'd yet to be told to shut up. It felt like he'd talked more in the last ten minutes than he had since the war had started. "As Gundam Pilots, we tend to know the location of the other pilots. Also," he grimaced slightly, staring straight ahead. "It sucks being captured alive. Trust me."  
  
A quick glance at the boy leaning between the seats showed that he was nodding, and Duo sighed as he realized Trunks was actually interested in what he had to say. //Here I am, finally with someone I'm free to talk to and I'm running out of stuff to say. It doesn't make sense.// His grip on the controls tightened suddenly as a harsh voice ran through his mind and he glared at the white clouds that looked so nice in front of him. //"Why do I tell you to shut up? Because you say nothing important. You talk for the sake of talking! I don't have time to listen to you!"// His jaw hurt, and Duo slowly relaxed himself. //I had something important to say...it was important...//  
  
"Tell me, couldn't your enemy...this OZ, couldn't they make their own gundams?"  
  
Duo blinked for a second, broken from his thoughts, and he smiled as he glanced back at Trunks, grateful for the distraction. "Nope. Actually, they could try, and they did try once. See, each of our gundams was made by a doctor. There were five of these guys, and they're the ones who designed them so no one else really knew how to make suits like ours. Of course, OZ eventually caught them and made them make suits for them, but we took care of that. Actually," he threw a glance to Quatre as he hesitated, but the blonde boy nodded. "Quatre here got rid of the two suits they made for OZ. And the doctors ended up dying so that was the end of any hope of OZ having their own gundams. But they didn't mind too much since they're mostly sticking to mobile dolls now."   
  
He knew Trunks would have no idea what those were, and he hurried to explain. "See, there are lots of suits, sorta like ours but much less powerful. And OZ found a way to have them piloted by remote control, like robots. That way they don't have to worry about finding good pilots and losing men if the suits are destroyed. It wasn't *too* bad an idea, since the dolls are much faster than most manned suits. You know, humans can only react so fast and their suits have to wait for them to react first. Luckily for us, once we got our gundams modified for space combat, we're just as fast as the dolls, and we're much better than them."  
  
"Why do you fight in space?" Trunks asked, thinking of his own battles and how they'd always taken place on a planet. Even Goku fought on planets.  
  
"Well, we have colonies, like...floating cities up in space. And that's where us Gundam pilots are from, each of us is from a colony and we decided to fight OZ since they were controlling the colonies. At first OZ was mainly on earth, but they eventually moved to space and we followed them." Duo snorted softly as he smiled at the boy. "It's a good thing it wasn't the other way around, with OZ in space and us on earth. See, our suits are made of gundanium alloy, a type of metal that can only be manufactured in space. That's why they're so much stronger than other suits. Of course, that's *also* why we call them Gundams."  
  
"Then the strength of your suits is in defense, the metal they're made from?" Shaking his head, Trunks frowned. "Then how can you defeat the other suits?"  
  
"Well, we also have our weapons," Duo said. He glanced at Quatre, wondering if the boy was bothered that he was doing all the talking, but the blonde boy was gazing off as if lost in thought and he let out a soft sigh. "See, our suits aren't just resistant to attacks, the weapons are also stronger. Myself, for example," his head rose, and he smirked at Trunks for a moment, "Deathscythe has his thermal scythe that's much stronger than most of Oz's stuff. Plus the fact that I have my cloaking device."  
  
The long-haired boy didn't seem to need any prodding, so Trunks held back his question. He was a bit surprised by how much the boy had told him, but he didn't mind learning about the two boys and the world they'd come from. It was becoming apparent to him that they really *were* fighters, just different from them. Also, he was interested in this technology. He may not have had his mother's desperate need for science, but her blood was in him and he couldn't ignore the suits and the thought of such possibilities. Smiling a bit, he saw the boy take a breath as he got ready to speak again. It reminded him of his mother a bit, the way Duo was talking. She often got caught up in her work, and if asked about it she would happily explain for hours, mindless as to whether or not her audience was as interested as she was. But Trunks was interested, and he nodded when Duo glanced to him, encouraging him to continue.  
  
"Well, like Quatre said earlier, each of us specialize in a certain thing, and I'm good at infiltration. I mean with my suit, though I can be pretty sneaky on foot, too. Anyway, Deathscythe has the technology to make itself invisible." Pale blue eyes widened and he smirked, nodding slowly. "I know, that's how I felt when I first heard about it. But it's true. There are plenty of nets that can hide a suit from radar, but I'm sure Deathscythe is the only suit in the world with the ability to become invisible. It's like with the klingon ships in star trek." He knew neither understood the reference, but it didn't matter too much as Quatre was used to his fetish for the twentieth-century. "Not only is my suit undetectable on radar, but I can be feet from a ship and they'd never see me until it's too late."  
  
A beep interrupted, and Duo pressed the button Bulma had shown him, smiling when he heard the excitement in her voice. He was still worried a bit about her interest in their suits, but he enjoyed having someone else appreciate them for the wonders that they were.  
  
"We're almost there, just follow me and I'll show you were you can land."   
  
* * *  
  
When they exited the shuttle, both Quatre and Duo received a shock as they were met by a tall man, a third eye staring out of his forehead. They managed not to stare much, but it was a hard thing.  
  
"It's about time you got back," Tien said, nodding to the two shorter boys. He'd been told about them by Bulma's father as he'd waited for them to return, but now he had more important things to think about. "Goku and Gohan are going to be coming out any time now. We need to get to the chamber if you guys want to be there."  
  
"Right," Trunks said, his eyes eager. He had almost lifted off when he suddenly wanted to smack himself for being inconsiderate. Judging by Bulma's smile, she thought the same, and he turned to look at Duo and Quatre. "You two are coming, aren't you?"  
  
"Yeah," Duo said quickly, his violet eyes sparking. "I *have* to meet this Goku I've heard so much about."  
  
"Where *is* this...hyperbolic time chamber?" Quatre asked, managing to keep his expression clear as he glanced at the tall man with three eyes.  
  
"Well, you have to fly to get there, but I'm sure Bulma'll be going." Tien smirked when the woman nodded quickly, "You can ride with her, if you want."  
  
"Aww, man. And here I was thinking I'd get to fly with you guys," Duo said, his tone disappointed as he fought a grin. With a pout, he gave an exaggerated sigh and hid his glinting eyes as he looked to Bulma's shuttle.  
  
"You can come with me," Trunks offered quickly. He didn't like the way the boy's face had dropped, and he could understand why he'd want to fly. It was something he tended to take for granted, himself.  
  
"Oh, I was..." He'd been about to tell the half-saiyan that he'd just been kidding, but Duo smiled suddenly as he changed his mind. There was no way he'd miss such an opportunity and if the lavender-haired boy offered, then he'd definitely take him up on it. "Thanks, Trunks. You're so nice."  
  
Tien raised an eyebrow at his friend, and smirked when Trunks turned his eyes away quickly. He looked a bit uncomfortable. Glancing down at the blonde, he shrugged his shoulders. "Do you want to fly, too?"  
  
"Me?" Quatre looked at the man with wariness, then gave a quick smile. "That's okay, I think I'll just ride with Bulma. Thank you, though."  
  
"No problem, come on, Trunks." Nodding when Bulma waved, Tien took off, leaving them behind.  
  
* * *  
  
"This is so cool!" Grinning, Duo let out a laugh before ducking his head a bit at the wind that hit his face. "I feel like Lois Lane!"  
  
"Who?" Trunks asked, raising his voice a bit so the boy in his arms could hear him.   
  
"Well, it was like a series on television. And there were movies, too," Duo said loudly. "See, there was this guy from another planet and he crashed on earth when he was a baby. He had these powers so he could fly and stuff and he was always going around saving people. Mostly this girl reporter he worked with named Lois Lane. In almost every episode he ended up rescuing her from something and flying her home." Thinking of the fact that Trunks was from another planet and that he too had powers, Duo laughed. "It's a good analogy!"  
  
Trunks smiled as he nodded in agreement. He couldn't help but marvel at the boy's good spirits, he smiled so much and so easily it was nice to be the cause. Of course, it wasn't as if he was doing anything difficult by carrying the boy, since with his strength Duo's weight was nothing. Actually, this wasn't exactly true, since he had noticed that the long-haired boy wasn't as small as he'd originally thought. While he *was* much more slender than any fighter, his grip on Trunks's shoulder wasn't that light. Obviously, his muscles were smaller but they were still there. He had to remind himself that the boy was young, and he thought Duo was probably considered strong enough where he came from.  
  
Still thinking about Trunks's powers, Duo turned to look up at the lavender-haired boy, smiling when those pale eyebrows raised in a questioning manner. "Tell me, if you guys, saiyans, I mean, if you aren't from this planet then what are you doing here? And did you guys have your powers on your own planet?" He couldn't help remembering how the fictional superman had supposedly gained his powers from the yellow sun of earth, and he wondered if it wasn't something like that with Trunks. It would be neat to learn that there was some truth to the fantasy.  
  
"Our powers...we're born with them," Trunks said, nodding as he had Duo's rapt attention. "I don't know all there is to know about saiyans," he admitted, "Just what my mother told me, but Goku was actually the first saiyan to come to earth. He may fight to protect it *now*, but he was supposed to conquer the planet in the beginning. He was just a kid then, but he was stronger than you'd believe. But Goku's really easy-going most of the time."  
  
Duo almost frowned at this, but he didn't since it might make Trunks not say anymore. He had compared this much-talked-about-Goku to Heero, but it was obviously a different case if Goku was 'easy-going'. No one would *ever* say that about Heero. But still, he'd thought this man that they all seemed to depend on would be some sort of champion and now he found himself wondering if he'd been wrong. "Hey, Trunks, do you saiyans have any weaknesses? The reason I ask is because superman, you remember, he got really weak when he was around a certain stone that came from his planet. I'm just curious, do you have anything like that?" Trunks frowned slightly, but Duo's gaze didn't waver. //Surely they aren't all-powerful...//  
  
"No," Trunks said, shaking his head. "Nothing like that. When we're young maybe, but once we've reached the level of super saiyan, it's different. Even if we're injured or worn out after a battle, we have these sensu beans that can rejuvenate us. They restore our energy and heal us at the same time."  
  
"Oh." Frowning, Duo shook his head. //And they *still* get beat by Cell? He must be a real monster.// "Trunks, I've been meaning to ask you, what was with the blonde hair earlier? Do you just change color at will or something?" While he wasn't that curious, he had wondered and if he could keep the boy talking, he wouldn't be stuck in silence.  
  
"I was a super saiyan," Trunks said, his eyes glinting as *he* was now the one who got to do the explaining. "See, we're born with our powers, but they get stronger when we train. I started off as a saiyan, but when I become a super saiyan my hair turns blonde. It's like...a marking of the change. My eyes also change color." Duo's violet eyes were wide, and he enjoyed the way the boy was watching him curiously. "They turn a dark greenish blue. My mother says they turn regular blue, but I think they're more green than that. But anyway, when I got here I took my own turn in the hyperbolic time chamber with my father before Goku and Gohan went in. I was hoping to ascend *beyond* a super saiyan. Although," he shrugged, "I didn't really think it was possible at first."  
  
"Did you do it?" Duo asked, his eyes very wide. He couldn't imagine how strong the boy must be, and he was vaguely reminded of the upgrades he'd done to Deathscythe and the way it had not only gotten stronger, but the name had changed as well. Now it was Deathscythe Hell, not the same as super saiyan as apposed to saiyan, but close enough in his mind. "Did you get stronger, then?"  
  
"Yeah..." Trunks glanced away as he remembered how foolish he'd been. Having reached the next level along with his father, he'd decided to surpass even him, powering up until he was even stronger than Vegeta. It had been a stupid mistake, and he still cursed himself for having acted so rashly as to do such a thing. In the end, his strength had increased but he'd slowed himself down to the point where he couldn't even touch Cell, little use his strength was *then*. "I did it, all right. So did my father."  
  
"So, a super saiyan is a lot stronger than a saiyan, right? And then you ascended to an even stronger form. And you *still* can't beat Cell?" Shaking his head, Duo sighed. "What kind of creature *is* he?"  
  
"He's an android," Trunks said. "He was created by Doctor Gero. Gero was the main scientist behind this army, the Red Ribbon Army, and Goku defeated them all. He was just a kid then, but he did it and he left Gero alive." Frowning for a second, Trunks finally shrugged. "I guess Goku can be too soft-hearted and lenient for his own good, letting Gero live long enough to get revenge. And that's what he did. He took cells from all of us, and then made Cell out of them. That's why he's so powerful, he has the powers of all of the Z fighters, not to mention Piccolo's healing ability." This brought an eyebrow up on Duo's face, and Trunks nodded. "Piccolo can regenerate himself if he's hurt, if he loses a limb or something he can grow it back, given enough time. Anyway, Gero didn't just create Cell. See, Cell took years to grow and in the meantime Gero made these two androids, Seventeen and Eighteen. They're the reason I came to this time in the first place."  
  
"That's right," Duo nodded, "You aren't from this time."  
  
"No, in my future all of the Z fighters were killed by these two androids and that's why I came back to the past, to try and make a difference. Unfortunately, I found out that my actions here won't change *my* time, but I still hoped to save the future of *this* world. But the timeline shifted when I went back, the two androids here were much stronger than they were in my time. Not to meantion the fact that Gero made a third, android Sixteen. He's the one in my mother's lab. In the end, I wasn't any help at all. Then, when the androids were already beating us, Cell showed up. Gero made him so that he has a final form, and he absorbs people through his tail to gain energy and strength. His objective...was to absorb the two androids...and he did..."  
  
Duo frowned as those pale blue eyes narrowed suddenly, and he caught the boy's barely concealed anger. "I'm sorry," he offered, knowing there wasn't anything he could say that would help, but he had to try.   
  
"It was..." Trunks stopped suddenly as he realized he'd been about to tell the boy how his father had allowed Cell to reach his final form. He'd never told anyone how that had infuriated him, but he wanted to now. Staring at Duo's sympathetic gaze, he realized the boy was easy to talk to. His manner was so open. "It was my father who let it happen," he said softly, his words barely reaching the boy. "We'd just come out of the time chamber and we were both stronger than Cell. But Vegeta...he wanted a worthy opponent and Cell didn't stand a chance against him as he was. So...he *let* him absorb android Eighteen and complete his evolution. Now, he's unstoppable. Our only hope is that Goku somehow has managed to become even stronger than that. If only Vegeta hadn't been so completely pig-headed. All he thought about was his own pride. I tried to stop him, and he actually turned on *me*."  
  
Duo blinked warily at the fury that obviously consumed the boy, but then he calmed slowly as he let Trunks vent his frustration. It was bad to hold in such anger, and he was reminded of how Wufei would let out his justice rants, cursing the fools in the world. Sighing as he felt a pang of sadness, he admitted he missed his comrades...all of them. Trunks had fallen silent and he glanced around, blinking sharply as he made out something in the distance. "Trunks, is that it?"  
  
"Wha...yeah," Trunks said, smiling as he cleared his mind. Soon, Goku would be out. "We're there."  
  
* * *  
TBC 


	6. Part 6

Author's Notes: Won't be seeing much of Heero and Trowa for a while, just thought I'd let you know. And if you're wondering where Wufei is, I admit...I don't know. He just isn't in this fic, except from others thinking about him. Category: Yaoi, GW/DBZ crossover, TWT, partial AU on DBZ side  
Warnings: none  
Pairings: will be Trunks x 2, Piccolo x 4, 1x2, 3x4  
Author: Arigatomina  
Email: arigatoumina@hotmail.com  
Complete Archive: www.fanfiction.net, www.geocities.com/arigatomina  
  
Alternate Timelines Indeed  
  
Part 6  
  
//What is this?! They are super saiyans and yet...they're acting so natural.// Vegeta glared from where he stood to the side of the people. Everyone was quick to greet the two fighters, and it was as if more than just one day had passed. Folding his arms over his chest, the saiyan's brows lowered and he glared as he waited for the two to get their greetings finished. His eyes kept returning to the two saiyans' blonde hair.  
  
"But who's this?" Goku asked, smiling as his bluish green eyes moved to the two boys who were standing next to Bulma. "And how are things?" His cheer slowly left and he grew serious, looking to Piccolo and Tien. "Where's Cell?"  
  
"This is Quatre and Duo," Bulma said quickly, her own expression serious. "But I'll tell you about them later. It's so good to have you two back."  
  
"Right." Piccolo took a step forward his expression dark. The celebration had lasted long enough and while he was just as relieved to have the two finished with their training, there were more important things. "Cell has reached his final form."  
  
"What?" Gohan's eyes widened as he looked up at the man, and he couldn't help but notice the way the Namek was glaring in Vegeta's direction. The black-haired fighter was ignoring him, but he could guess what had happened. "Then he absorbed the last android."  
  
"Yes. And now he wants to have a tournament," Piccolo continued, staring at Goku. "He plans to pick us off one-by-one. I seriously doubt he'll follow the rules of a real tournament."  
  
"I see. I guess we got out just in time to help, right?" Goku managed a smile as he looked down at his son, and he laid a hand on the boy's shoulder.   
  
"Well, you can't fight in those things," Bulma said, eyeing the two's ruined suits. She'd modeled the armor after Vegeta's before they'd gone into the chamber, but it was obvious that they hadn't lasted through the training. "I can get you some new armor," she offered.  
  
"No thanks. I think this time," Goku smiled at the woman, "I want to fight as an earthling." He wasn't bothered by the surprised looks, and his eyes glinted when he noticed the way Gohan was looking at Piccolo.  
  
"Piccolo? Do you think I could wear an outfit like yours?" The boy was hesitant, but he blinked up at the tall man eagerly.  
  
Piccolo's intense expression softened a bit, and Quatre smiled as he noticed the way the two looked at each other. He was suddenly sure they cared for each other a great deal, the smirk that passed over the man's lips affirming that. Then he blinked sharply when Piccolo suddenly raised a hand, and a glance to Duo showed that the American was as caught as himself. With pale light signifying some sort of raise in power, the Namek let out a sound that seemed to be a mixture between a groan and a growl, then Gohan was wearing a white cape identical to the man's.  
  
Grinning, Gohan looked at the weighted shoulders, the cape falling to the back of his knees in soft-looking folds. He'd always hoped to become powerful enough, and he was proud to be able to have it. To him, it meant he'd done well in the eyes of the Namek who'd over-seen his training and he could tell from the warmth in Piccolo's eyes that the man was proud. "Thanks," he said, trying to look serious as he knew it was no small thing the man had given him.  
  
"You look good," Piccolo said, his expression somber.  
  
"Are you two finished?"  
  
No one seemed surprised by Vegeta's mocking question, and Duo glanced at the man for a moment before looking back to the two blondes. He was still a bit disappointed by Goku's appearance, and he could imagine that with black hair the man would look something like Vegeta. He was, of course, taller, and his features weren't so pinched looking, but muscle-wise, he wasn't any more impressive than the other fighters. No, Duo couldn't tell from looking at him why the others saw him as a champion. Then he blinked when the man suddenly frowned, those greenish-blue eyes aimed at the floor.  
  
"Before we worry about Cell," Goku said slowly. There were some frowns when he looked up, but his hopeful smile remained diligent. "Is there anything to eat? I'm starved."  
  
The two Gundam pilots looked around in confusion as there were multiple groans, but it seemed the man's odd request was natural as a feast was quickly gathered. They were again careful not to stare, but it was becoming obvious that these people were full of odd tendencies as both Goku and Gohan ate as if they'd been without food for the entire year. In fact, Duo was impressed. It was amazing that they could eat so fast and still manage to get all of the food into their mouths. But they didn't miss much.   
  
Quatre's pale eyes were very wide, and the American smirked as he could tell the boy's politeness was the only thing keeping him from gaping. Sidling a bit closer to him, he leaned to the side, his voice low. "And Wufei complained about *my* eating too fast. He'd have a conniption-fit if he saw *this*." Quatre turned to stare at him, and Duo grinned as the boy seemed to choke, one hand rising to cover his mouth.  
  
Smothering his giggles, Quatre fought the urge to laugh. It was rude, especially since he didn't know if these people normally ate like that or not. After all, it may have been customary and it would be rude to question or mock their habits. But the image of Wufei's face if he saw such a display had his shoulders shaking from laughter. A glance to the others showed that they seemed tolerant enough, but Piccolo was scowling in disgust, and Vegeta was just scowling. Then he saw Trunks turn from where he kneeled near the edge of the blanket and he was reassured by the way the boy gave a slight smile and a small nod. He must have heard them, and Quatre gave a glare at Duo which was completely lost on the grinning pilot.  
  
Trunks quickly rid himself of his smile as he glanced to Goku and Gohan, and his eyes widened a bit at the way the food was disappearing rapidly. "Um, wasn't there food in the time-chamber?" The response was incomprehensible, and he winced at the sight of Goku trying to speak around his food.  
  
"Try saying that without your mouth full," Piccolo said slowly, his expression disapproving. He too had heard the stranger's comments, and he could understand how they'd be disgusted. While he was used to Goku's habit of inhaling his food, it was sad that Gohan had obviously joined him in it. Still, they must have needed fuel for their ascended powers, and he waited with a little patience as Goku looked up at him in surprise.   
  
Goku swallowed quickly, smiling as he met the Namek's gaze. "I said, there was plenty of food. But Gohan and I aren't very good cooks, and there's nothing like a home-cooked meal." That said, he quickly returned to eating before his son could finish it off without him. It wasn't until they'd cleared the blanket that he finally sat back with a wide smile and a satisfied sigh. "Okay."  
  
"Are you finished?" Vegeta asked scathingly, glaring at the man.   
  
"Unless there's more," Goku said easily. While he wasn't actually that hungry, it was rather nice to get a rise out of the man, and Vegeta's glare proved he'd managed to do so. "Actually," he said, standing slowly and stretching a bit. "I think I'll go and take a look at Cell, now. I'll be right back." Without further warning, he disappeared, his instant teleportation taking him away in a blink and leaving the others staring at the spot he'd vacated.  
  
* * *  
  
Bulma was obviously in her element, and the woman's smile would have been addicting if Duo had been able to rid himself of his reservations. As it was, he didn't really have anything to be afraid of, after all, she wasn't actually running her tests on his gundam. It was a good thing Quatre'd had a spare panel in the shuttle, he just hoped the piece lasted so she wouldn't be wanting more. He had no intention of offering up a part of his suit for her experimentation. Following her with his eyes as she crossed the lab, he was surprised when the door opened and five of the fighters came in.   
  
Since Goku's abrupt departure to check on Cell, and his uncheerful return, they'd been silent and morose, especially since they'd been told by the saiyan that he wasn't going to be returning to the time chamber. From what Duo had heard of Cell, he understood their worries, and he and Quatre had already decided that they'd have to postpone their own attempts to return home. At least until they knew what their new friends were planning to do. Smiling when Trunks and Krillin nodded to him, he straightened from where he leaned against the wall.  
  
"She's still at it, eh?" Krillin smiled as his eyes moved to the light blue haired woman, but he winced a bit when she turned and raised an eyebrow at him. "How's it going, Bulma?"  
  
"Where's Goku and Gohan?" Bulma asked, frowning a bit as she noticed their absence.   
  
"They're visiting with Chee-chee," Tien said lightly. "And Vegeta's not back yet."  
  
"Well, I didn't expect *him* to be curious." She made a face, before setting down the small hand-held instrument she'd been looking at and folding her arms over her chest. "But you wouldn't believe this stuff," her eyes shone brightly, and she smiled suddenly causing Trunks to take a tiny step back. "It's the most marvelous material."  
  
"Really." Piccolo didn't seem impressed. While the size of the two suits had surprised him, he didn't see how they would be of interest when there was the upcoming fight to think about. He'd talked with the others, and he was going to be the first to use the time chamber, his chances of gaining the power needed were so slim he'd only come into the lab on the off chance of distracting himself. Goku had been very straightforward when he'd said he didn't see himself strong enough to defeat Cell, and Piccolo was certain he wouldn't be able to do it either. But he was still going to train.  
  
"Yes," Bulma said quickly. "It's just amazing. I can't even scratch it." The two boys were exchanging glances, and she smirked at Duo's wide smile. "I've been trying to test it with everything, but nothing's worked. I need something stronger..."   
  
Yamcha took a quick step back as her eyes fell on him, and he winced as she grinned. "What are you thinking?" Then she looked at the other fighters and he let out a groan. "You've got to be kidding."  
  
"Well, I just thought that *you* could test it for me, after all, you are so powerful, right?"   
  
Quatre could tell she was trying to taunt them, but he shook his head, moving into her line of sight. "I don't think that would be wise," he said slowly, wary of disappointing her. "That sheet is the only extra gundanium we have, if they were to destroy it we wouldn't have anything else to give you." He wasn't any less worried than Duo, and he had no intention of letting her experiment on Sandrock. Whether it disappointed her or not, he wasn't going to risk his gundam's being hurt in the name of curiosity...or science.  
  
"Oh, don't worry," Bulma smiled, her gaze finally stopping on her son as Trunks eyed her warily. "I'm sure they have better control than that. You wouldn't incinerate it, right, Trunks?" The boy winced, but she waited patiently. "After all, you could just use a small attack to find out its tolerance, couldn't you?"  
  
"I...guess." He really didn't have much of a choice, and it was such a simple thing. Still, he dropped his eyes in defeat as both Tien and Piccolo smirked at him. Only Yamcha seemed to understand and the black-haired fighter gave him a sympathetic gaze before glancing down at Krillin.  
  
"Well, this'll be a nice little distraction," Krillin said slowly, backing toward the door just in case Bulma decided to recruit him as well. He rather liked the two boys, and he could imagine how upset they would be once the part was destroyed and Bulma started stalking them. There was no way she'd be able to ignore them, and he couldn't imagine a metal that could stand up to one of Trunks's attacks, even if it were a weak one. "I think I'll go see if Goku and Gohan want to watch. I bet Gohan'd love the excuse. His mom's probably got him studying already."  
  
* * *  
  
His first thought had been that Cell had decided to attack early, and Vegeta was rightfully furious that the fighters hadn't drawn the android farther from the house. Judging by the different powers he was sensing, all of the fighters were there, and the saiyan flew faster toward them. The ground evened out beneath him, grass replaced by the barren rock that was so common among battlefields. It was when he grew close enough to see them, which wasn't really close at all, that he stopped suddenly. His black eyes narrowed first as he wasn't sure what he was seeing, then he grew angry again at the thought of the fighters wasting their time with such childish sport.   
  
He hadn't seen the two suits before, but they didn't seem anything more than machines, despite the fact that they resembled humanoids. There was obviously no hurry, and he could tell by Bulma's presence that there was no battle taking place. Instead, he was convinced they were playing and he remained still as his mocking gaze watched the scene. It wasn't until Goku powered up that he blinked, and his anger at the man's strength almost made him forget what the ascended saiyan was attacking. Then he saw his nemesis let loose his infamous attack, and he couldn't help but fly closer as the black suit was thrown across the ground. It hadn't so much as dodged, in fact, it hadn't moved until the blazing ball of light hit it and carried it back.   
  
Piccolo and Tien looked up as the saiyan joined them where they stood with Bulma, and the short man's anger was obvious. Then they turned back to the Gundam, watching as it lay still for a moment before slowly getting back to its feet, those green eyes blazing with light. Then the boy's voice reached them, carried by some sort of speaker.  
  
"Woah! This is awesome!" Duo's voice was loud, and his laughter made Quatre smile from where he sat in his own suit. "I've *never* had so much fun! Hell yeah, Deathscythe rules!"  
  
Vegeta's mouth fell open as he recognized the voice, and his disbelieving eyes moved from the two suits as he realized the boys were inside of them. Then he sneered as he knew they *were* playing. There was no way the toys would stand up against a true attack, and he smirked when Goku landed beside him, the man's blonde hair still rankling him. "Having fun?" he asked, his voice dripping with scorn. "I should have known you would be playing games."  
  
"Not at all," Goku said lightly, his smile real as he turned to look at the two gundams. What had started off as a simple test to determine a piece of metal's tolerance had turned into an all-out training session, and he for one was ecstatic to have the suits on their side. "They're stronger than any of our attacks. Go ahead and try, give it your best shot." As he'd expected, the saiyan sneered at him, but he kept his own expression clear. "Unless you don't think you're strong enough." It wasn't like him to purposely spur the man on, not when he was already angry, but he'd already thought of ways to use the two remarkable suits.   
  
If they could have a target that they couldn't destroy, then they would know when they'd reached a strength capable of standing up to Cell. He'd hoped that his and Gohan's time in the chamber might have brought them to the level necessary, but he was convinced that unless Gohan was able to get stronger, neither would be able to accomplish the task. But then, he knew his son could, it was a matter of getting him to. With that aside, the suits would be good to train against, and he fully intended to talk to Piccolo and the others about that as he knew the time chamber was a difficult place to be alone. And without a steady enemy to train against, it wasn't easy to judge one's own growth.   
  
"Fine," Vegeta growled, glaring at the man who stood before him. "If you want me to kill him, then I will. Stand aside." Goku moved quickly, as did Tien and Yamcha, and Vegeta raised his power quickly, his hair changing as he turned into a super saiyan. Despite his words, he didn't intend to actually kill the boy, but the suit was history. If only to prove that he was stronger than the rest of them.  
  
He was still laughing quietly, but Duo's eyes narrowed when the saiyan changed. While he had complete faith in his suit, he recognized the fact that the man wasn't attacking with the same spirit the others had been under. No, he was fighting out of anger and Duo's hands clenched around the controls as he forced himself to hold still. His instinct wasn't to stand still and wait for an attack, and he had to admit the powers that had been sent at him had been more than intimidating. But still, Trunks had told him that Goku and Gohan were the strongest and if those two hadn't been able to damage him, then he knew Vegeta wouldn't either. Then the man let out a harsh cry and Duo's eyes closed as the blinding light moved toward him.  
  
Quatre winced when Deathscythe was flung backward, tearing a groove into the rocky ground. //That must have hurt//, he thought with a dark expression. He knew the suits had stood well under the attacks, but while the Gundanium withstood the heat, it was the pilots who took the real beating. His own body was sore enough to tell him that, and he was grateful that Duo had offered to be the guinea pig for the rest of the experiments. Oh, it wasn't that he wasn't up to it, as Quatre had been knocked around enough in Sandrock to be rather used to it. Duo just took more enjoyment out of showing off the strength of his suit, even if it meant taking the falls. Glancing through the view screen to where the yellow-haired saiyan stood, a small smile came to the blonde boy's lips at the man's incredulous expression.  
  
He may not have used his strongest attack, but Vegeta hadn't held much back, and his teeth gnashed together when the black suit moved. It had been thrown back a good enough distance, and it was slow to rise, but it did rise. Then he blinked as the familiar sound of some sort of boosters came and the black machine was flying toward him, a few feet off the ground.   
  
Halting in front of the man, Duo gave a dark smirk as he twirled his scythe before letting it freeze in a threatening manner, the curved blade of light aimed down at the saiyan. "Bring it on," he murmured, then he snickered when the man blinked at him in complete stupefaction. The sound of laughter had him glancing away to where Bulma and Gohan were standing, and he grinned at the woman's smile. She obviously liked the expression on Vegeta's face.   
  
//The gall!// Vegeta was suddenly furious, but he hadn't so much as moved when the suit suddenly turned away from him, that odd staff held out in front of it.  
  
"Hey, Quatre! Let's wrestle, what-do-ya say?"   
  
"Duo." The blonde boy sighed as he noted that Krillin, who'd been flying near him, moved away quickly. "Really, Duo."  
  
"Come on, it's all in fun. And it's education," the longhaired boy smirked, his eyes glinting when Quatre was suddenly on his view screen. "They want to see what our suits are capable of, and I won't hurt your baby. It'll be fun."  
  
"Duo, Sandrock is just as strong as Deathscythe, and you know it."  
  
The blonde boy wasn't smiling any more, and Duo cleared his face, raising an eyebrow as he moved a bit closer to the black and white suit. "Is that so? Prove it." A smirk crossed the pale boy's face, and Duo jumped his suit back when Sandrock turned suddenly. "That's more *like* it!"  
  
"What...are they doing?" Bulma asked, frowning as the two suits suddenly faced off. "They aren't planning to--" The rest of what she'd meant to say was cut off as Quatre's gundam rushed forward, Deathscythe dodging quickly. "Kids."  
  
"Wow, they're so...quiet." Gohan followed the two suits, not noticing the odd look Bulma gave him. If he had, he would have told her he didn't mean the suits but the pilots. There was the sound of clashing metal, of course, but from the boys, there was nothing at all; only an occasional taunt from the black suit and a light laughter. "Do you think this is the way they train where they come from? It seems more like a game."  
  
"Well, I don't know about that," Bulma said, smiling when she saw that Vegeta had moved towards them and was listening with an intense glare. "But their weapons are just amazing. Thermal energy, that's what Quatre said. And the way he can heat his blades, he actually made a groove in that piece of gundanium and that's more than even *you* could do." Gohan didn't seem bothered by her words, but the boy was still watching the fight, his smile easy. "We don't have anything like their technology. Just imagine if I could make armor from that metal..."  
  
"You are *not* touching their suits." Trunks wanted to wince when his mother frowned at him, but he stood still, his expression hard. "We'll do fine with what we have. You know you gave your word you wouldn't try to take them apart. Besides, Duo said they can only manufacture gundanium in space, and if we can't melt them with our power, then how would *you* do it?"  
  
"It was just a thought, Trunks," Bulma said, reproving the boy. "I wouldn't hurt their suits. I know how important they are to them." The young half-saiyan looked relieved, and she smiled. "But we could still find a way to use them."  
  
The two gundams had ceased their mock-battle, and Duo laughed as he climbed out of the cockpit, grinning widely. "That was great," he called, his violet eyes glowing when he saw the way Quatre was smiling. "We'll have to get the other guys to try this when we get back."   
  
Nodding, Quatre stepped out onto the platform of his gundam. "We could try." Duo turned and sat, his legs hanging over the edge and the blonde boy followed his gaze to where the fighters stood around Bulma. The woman was talking quickly with Goku, and he wondered what she was saying.  
  
"Hey, Piccolo!" Duo grinned when the man flinched and turned.   
  
"I can hear you just fine," Piccolo said slowly, moving closer to the two gundams. "You don't have to shout."  
  
"Oh." Duo winced a bit, his smile abashed. "Okay, but what do you think? You still think we don't look like fighters?"  
  
The Namek remembered what he'd said before, and he frowned as he looked at the two boys. They looked even smaller with the large suits looming behind them, and Piccolo didn't answer the question. It was obvious that they had strength, but the answer would have been a blunt no as they didn't *look* like fighters. "You fight well," he said instead, noting the pleased smile on Quatre's face and the way Duo folded his arms over his chest.  
  
"Yep, we're great." Smug smile firmly in place, the American fell back and sighed as he stared up at the light blue sky. //I never thought of myself as a glory-hog, but this is so cool. Here they are, this power they have, and they can't do as much damage as a mobile doll. Sure, they didn't try physical attacks, but still. I like being the strong one.// His thoughts were snuffed out, and he gave a startled cry when a head suddenly popped up over the edge of the platform. Rolling away, he almost fell off. "Krillin!"  
  
"Sorry!" Blushing, the bald fighter raised a hand. "Didn't mean to scare you."  
  
Duo glared when he heard soft laughter, and he made a face at Quatre who had a hand over his mouth, pale blue-green eyes glinting. "Right. Just when I'm all convinced I'm a God you have to come and ruin it by rubbing my nose in the fact that you can fly. That's great."  
  
"Does it bother you?" Trunks asked, moving upward so that he was next to Krillin. He'd come over with the short earthling, but after the boy's reaction, he hadn't been eager to repeat it.   
  
"No," Duo smiled, shrugging as he recovered his seat. He gestured to the platform and waited until the two had sat down before smirking. "Well, aren't you going to tell me how good we are?" Quatre groaned, but Duo waited expectantly.   
  
"You were great," Krillin said quickly, smiling as he included Quatre in the statement.  
  
Vegeta snorted and turned away, his gaze dark as he didn't want to look at the two boys. Seeing them reminded him of how small they were, and it was disgusting to think that they could have withstood one of his attacks. Of course, it hadn't been them personally as their suits had done the work, but that didn't matter. He had just been reminded *again* of how much stronger he'd have to get and his temper raged at the thought. It seemed nothing was ever enough.  
  
Goku glanced up when Vegeta took off, and his expression grew serious as he followed the saiyan's progress. He could imagine what was going through the man's mind, but while he sympathized, he had more important things to think of; namely, convincing the others to include the suits in their training. It wouldn't have helped him, since he fully intended to train outside, but he knew the gundams would be an asset they didn't want to ignore. Obviously, Vegeta was determined to do his training alone, but Goku was sure he could convince the others, with a little effort.  
  
* * *  
TBC  
--notes--  
A quick warning for the next part, lots of Quatre and Piccolo interaction and a lemon. I think there will be 12 or 13 parts to this fic, and a Trunksx2 lemon in part 8 or 9. I'm also planning for both a 1x2 and 3x4 lemon in part 12 or 13 so you're warned in advance. 


	7. Part 7 incomplete for NC17 ommission

Author's Notes: Corrections on DBZ facts are welcome. READ WARNINGS.  
Category: Yaoi, GW/DBZ crossover, TWT, partial AU(DBZ side)  
Pairings: Piccolox4, 2+1/1+2, 3+4/4+3, will be Trunksx2, 1x2, 3x4  
Warnings: descriptive lemon, male Piccolo, shounen ai, minor angst  
Author: Arigatomina  
Email: arigatoumina@hotmail.com  
Complete Archive: www.geocities.com/arigatomina, www.fanfiction.net  
  
Alternate Timelines Indeed  
  
Part 7  
  
"And they wouldn't have to stay inside the entire year, they could come out any time."  
  
It was difficult not to snort at the man's cheerful expression, but Duo managed, dropping his gaze. Goku was obviously excited, and he understood why, but the fighters didn't seem aware of the effect the suggestion had on them. Maybe a year wasn't long to them, but Duo couldn't help but be uneasy at the thought of losing that much time. Even if he only stayed in the chamber for a couple of months, that was a long time to be trapped in one place. He'd done his time, having grown up on a colony, and the questionable freedom they'd found on earth had no doubt spoiled him. He didn't like the idea. Still, he wanted to help, and he had to admit it wasn't much to ask since less than a day would pass in their world.  
  
"Besides," Goku said, his eyes pinning Piccolo as he figured the Namek would be harder to convince, "It really is easier to go in with someone than it is to go alone. This way, you'd have someone to train against." The green-skinned man gave a sharp nod, and he smiled widely, glancing at Trunks. He hadn't bothered with Vegeta, and his expectations were realized as the half-saiyan also nodded. Then Duo raised a hand, and he blinked in surprise since the two boys hadn't said much in regards to his suggestion. He'd assumed they were willing to go along.  
  
"Um, I see a problem," Duo murmured, raising an eyebrow. "The whole point is so they can train against our Gundams, right? Well, unless you want to tear down part of the doorway, there's no way they'll fit. I mean, we *can* dismantle our Gundams and reassemble them, but even the head wouldn't fit through that little door you and Gohan came out." He was confused when the blonde man laughed suddenly, and he felt a wave of wariness.  
  
"Hey, you forget about my instant teleportation. I can just take the Gundam in and leave. It's not a problem at all."  
  
"Oh...right."  
  
Quatre gazed at the longhaired boy, and he could tell by the way Duo averted his eyes that his friend had merely been grasping for an excuse. Rising from the chair he'd been sitting in, he gave Goku a small smile and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I guess I'll go first. I know you're short on time."  
  
"That's great," Goku smiled, clapping a hand on the pale boy's shoulder. "Piccolo's already planned to go in first."  
  
"Fine," Quatre nodded, sharing a quick glance with the tall man who was leaning against the wall. Duo was looking at him in barely concealed relief, and he managed not to let his understanding show.  
  
He almost felt like a coward for not having volunteered before his comrade, but Duo couldn't deny that he was glad for the reprieve. This way he could talk with Quatre after the blonde boy got out and learn exactly what he was in for. A quick smile curved his lips, and he turned to Trunks, grinning. "Guess that leaves us, Trunks." The lavender-haired boy nodded with a small smile, and he glanced at Piccolo, stepping forward so the man turned to face him. "Might want to be careful, fighting against Quatre. Don't make him mad, he can have quite a temper, especially in a Gundam."  
  
His cheeks heated, and Quatre glared at the grinning American. He knew what the boy was referring to, and it was a touchy subject. But then, Duo didn't seem to comprehend the word restraint, and he couldn't really get too angry. A glance around the room showed that Goku and Trunks were looking at him curiously, but it was Piccolo who made his cheeks burn more as the man had merely raised an eyebrow ridge, his expression blank. For some reason, that questioning gaze made him want to smack his fellow pilot, and he was glad no one asked what Duo's comment meant.  
  
* * *  
  
There was no sense of travel as Goku took hold of Sandrock's arm, and Quatre only blinked once, his eyes closing on a rocky field and opening to find an endless sea of white spread out before him. He didn't hear the man as he bid them luck, and he could feel his skin growing clammy as an inexplicable coldness washed his body. Empty silence seemed to fill him to the core and his eyes widened till they burned from the air inside the cockpit. He stared at the unbroken whiteness and he couldn't move, weighted down by more than just the heavy atmosphere. Then he choked suddenly as he couldn't breathe. Thick air caught in his throat and his heart clenched painfully. A sound whispered in his ear as if from a long distance and somewhere inside he knew the moaning sob came from his own lips. Tingles lit his arms, and his fingers trembled, reaching for the screen as he sought to turn off the view; striving to end the emptiness that echoed inside him. The controls seemed to be receding, moving away from him and he panted, gasping desperately and blinking back the sweat that trickled into his eyes; he tried to control the panic that consumed him.  
  
Piccolo frowned as minutes passed and the large machine beside him didn't move, silence reigning over the chamber. Then the eyes lit with a green light, and he looked up expectantly as the cockpit slowly lowered. His instincts were sharp, and he was off the ground as soon as he spotted the pale boy; his surprise at the way Quatre shoved out of the pilot's seat crushed as he flew up. Body collapsing on the tilted platform, the boy rolled off, and Piccolo's indrawn breath was muffled by the sound of movement as one of the Gundam's hands lifted, large fingers closing slightly and one of Quatre's arms hung down as his fall was halted.  
  
He froze, staring at Sandrock's bright eyes as he wondered at the machine, not sure if he should go to the still boy or not. Somehow, he knew it hadn't caught the boy by chance, but he could sense nothing from those cold green lights. There wasn't an alternative, and he flew close to the steady hand, his gaze moving sharply over Quatre. The boy was lying on his stomach, his rapid breathing visible. The Gundam never budged when he landed on the machine's palm, and he knelt beside the blonde, turning him onto his back. His eyes narrowed as he wondered if he should take the boy outside and forget about the plans. Quatre was panting through his mouth, and his pale skin was lit with a sheen of sweat that made his hair cling to his cheeks. Bending forward, he lifted him, his eyes moving from the door to the building that was visible behind them, and he looked at Quatre sharply when the boy made a soft sound, a mere breath.  
  
"Trowa..."  
  
* * *  
  
Heero's eyes snapped to the boy beside him when Trowa sat up suddenly. The tall boy had been resting, but he was wide-awake now, his eyes seeming to fill his face in a way that made the Japanese boy's nerves tense.   
  
"Quatre!" The steady gaze of the boy beside him was a calming balm, and Trowa ran a shaky hand through his long bangs. "I...can't feel him," he said slowly, his voice soft yet loud in the shuttle. "Not at all. It's as if...he's gone completely."  
  
"He's dead." For a moment he didn't blink, a cold certainty wrapping him, and Heero turned to face the windshield. "It's over."  
  
"No! No...that's not it. If...if he'd died, I would have felt it. I've felt it before, Quatre's pain. I would have felt it if he'd died. It's not that but...it's as if he's just disappeared." Trowa went silent, his green eyes staring into the dark space before them as Heero's gaze bore into him once more. He wasn't paying any attention to the boy, however, as he remained as calm as he could, searching for that connection he'd had since the very beginning. A tenuous tie, broken now he could feel a pain that was his own and he wondered if Quatre didn't feel the same, wherever he was.  
  
* * *  
  
Piccolo blinked sharply when the blonde boy's eyes snapped open and his hand was grasped in a surprisingly strong grip. He was uncertain what to make of the way Quatre was staring at him, and he frowned. "What happened?" The boy lay were he'd placed him on one of the beds in the building, but he'd turned his head to face him, pale blue-green eyes wide. "I'll take you outside now, if you want. Goku can come back for the suit."  
  
"No...I'll be okay." Quatre took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment as he squeezed the man's hand, needing to feel the connection to another being. "It's just that...the chamber, it must have done something. My heart, it reacted." Looking up, he took in Piccolo's narrowed eyes, and he sighed. "My space heart, it's..." He didn't know how to explain it at all. "Well, sometimes I can feel the pain of others. And I have...had...a tie to one of the other Gundam pilots. It was the shock of losing that, of being completely alone, I guess I wasn't prepared for it." The man was staring at him with an unreadable expression, and he flushed, shaking his head.  
  
Forcing himself to release the grip he had on Piccolo's hand, Quatre pushed himself up, not thinking much about the bed he was on. "I guess I've come to rely on that tie, and the chamber was so void it made the emptiness in my heart that much deeper." If the man had nodded, or even blinked, he might have been reassured that he was understood, but Piccolo remained still, his eyes level with him even as he sat up. It was then that he looked at the bed he was on, the white walled room they were inside of, and he blinked. "Are we still in the hyperbolic time chamber?"  
  
"Yes. I'll show you."  
  
* * *  
  
Leaning against a pillar, Piccolo watched the black and white suit with narrowed eyes, his arms folded over his chest. Hours had passed, yet the young boy was still working, perched on the left arm as he wielded some sort of metal torch. It had taken time to bend the piece back, and he was now sealing it. Whether the instrument was a torch to fuse the metal, or some other sort of contraption, Piccolo didn't know, and he didn't particularly care. He was to blame for the damage, and he berated himself for having slipped so badly. Although, this was blatant proof that the suits were far from impervious as his physical attack had been a mere glancing blow.  
  
His eyes moved over Quatre's back, taking in how stiffly the boy held himself, and he remembered his shock as he'd made the hit. Not expecting the metal to bend, especially so easily, he'd frozen, and the speed with which the suit had pulled those two curved blades had caught him by surprise. The boy had halted almost immediately after that response, and he'd been very somber as he'd inspected the damage. While he'd assured Piccolo that it wasn't bad, hours were a long time to fix something he claimed was minor.  
  
In truth, he wasn't sure what to make of the boy, and while he by no means considered himself knowing of others, the cold voice that had spoken to him as Quatre'd replaced his drawn blades told him he'd glimpsed a different side of the quiet Earthling. But it had been gone so quickly he couldn't be sure. Still, the boy had been quiet and withdrawn in the three weeks since they'd entered the chamber; he'd noticed the change and he didn't like it.  
  
* * *  
  
---_---_---  
  
//"You'll die...Heero. I don't want to destroy people who are my allies..."// He wasn't listening to him, he didn't care to heed his warning, and his own resolve strengthened as the red suit threatened him yet again. Wing Zero pulsed around him, and he followed the Gundam pilot with a cold efficiency, his grip on the beam cannon steady.   
  
//"...do it....I have no intention of chatting with an enemy."//  
  
The Japanese boy's voice reached him through the darkness of space and his expression grew calm. The suit was damaged beyond defense, and he lined the cannon up. //"Very well then. Good-bye...Heero."//   
  
A beam of light, bright golden and steady, thick enough to swallow the suit that was unable to dodge, the colony behind it defenseless, cut through the blackness, its course straight. Fire from boosters sent the blue suit on an intercept course, half of the suit a molten pile of metal, the cockpit breached leaving a thin space suit separating the pilot from the airless vacuum. The beam, steady and uncaring, struck the blue suit, consuming it, the red one shielded as the flow of power to the cannon was cut off, a sharp cry echoing pain.  
  
//"Trowa?!"// His mind was frozen, horror ripping him to shreds then time spiraled and he was inside the colony, the blast from Heero's suit having shoved him against the wall. He couldn't see but he heard, that soft voice speaking to him, his last words for him, his life for him and his own scream echoed in his ears. //"Trowa's gonna die!"//  
  
//"...and you're the one who killed him...Quatre. You've gone insane. Omae o korosu."//  
  
The boy dying, that voice no longer reached him and his guard dropped. His plea for death so the other might be saved fell on deaf ears and the explosion reached him even within the walls of the colony, echoing inside his soul.  
  
//"...Trowa's death was just a waste..."//  
  
---_---_---  
  
Quatre sat up suddenly, his pale eyes wide in the dim room. His heart was pounding, and he leaned forward, gasping as he blinked back the tears that filled his eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered, calming himself slowly as he drew his knees to his chest. "Always..." Shaken, he didn't feel the presence at first, then he flinched, his head turning sharply and he gazed at the figure who stood in the doorway. "Piccolo..." With a slow sigh, he brushed the back of his hand over his damp eyes, sliding his legs off the edge of the bed so he was facing the man. "Did I wake you?" At Piccolo's slow nod, his lips twitched, and he looked down for a moment in embarrassment, then shook his head. "I'm sorry."  
  
"You've done this every night. Do you always have the same nightmare? Or is it the time chamber?" Piccolo's eyes narrowed as Quatre stood, and he stared at the dampness still visible on those pale cheeks.  
  
"Yes." His voice was quiet, and Quatre crossed the room, dropping his eyes as he passed the tall man. "Every night. But it's not the time chamber, it's me." He didn't have to glance back to know he was being followed, and he stepped into the kitchen, grateful that he didn't have to stay in his bed. He'd done so before, not wanting to wake Piccolo, but obviously his efforts had been for naught.  
  
* * *  
  
The pilot turned sharply, looking over his shoulder at Trowa, but the boy handed the mug to him silently, not inviting the question that went along with Heero's upraised eyebrow. Sinking into the seat beside the Japanese pilot, he took a long drink from his own cup, his thoughts consuming. Mere hours had passed since he'd lost touch with the blonde boy who, for such a long time, had occupied a place inside him, but he wondered where he was, what had happened. As he'd told Heero, he fully believed he would know if Quatre had come to harm, but believing wasn't the same as knowing and doubts were making their way in.  
  
He couldn't feel him, and it was as if he had slipped away, hidden somewhere. Rather than having lost him to death, he felt that they were cut off, out of reach so even that odd bond they seemed to share, that link which he often used to keep himself whole, was broken. Ripped, shredded so completely, the severed tie was painful, torn with a jagged scar in place of something more precious than an amputated limb.  
  
The stars blinked, not bright as they were from the earth, but dull and his eyes gazed at them, not really looking. He wondered what they would be doing at that moment if the accident hadn't occurred, if they'd met in space as planned and were now together, the four of them on their way to meet with the fifth Gundam pilot; a team united. But he didn't have to wonder as he knew, they'd be sharing a strong cup of tea or coffee, something with the power to soothe Quatre's nerves after his nightly dreams that even now, he refused to share with him. Despite the warmth of the liquid he swallowed, a coldness was creeping in and his eyes burned, the blackness of space seeming to have a tinge of white aura, blurring the edges of his vision.  
  
* * *  
  
"Before we went back to space, I self destructed my Gundam. I had to do it, Duo and Wufei, another of us pilots, they were going to be shot down the moment they took off. So I did the only thing I could to destroy the mobile suits standing against me, I self-detonated. But Sandrock, he saved me, waited until I was safely away before destructing on his own."  
  
The boy's voice was soft, devoid of any emotion and Piccolo remained silent, unwilling to interrupt. He was reminded of how the suit had moved when Quatre'd fallen out upon their arrival, and he nodded slowly. The blonde was looking at him, then he took another drink from the cup in front of him and sighed.  
  
"I was still injured, the fight took more than I had, I lost consciousness. But I made it to space and I went home, one of my sisters found me and brought me to our colony. I'd never met her, that I remember, but she knew me and she took me home. I needed to build a new Gundam, to continue my part of the war." The Namek nodded again, and he curled his fingers around the warm mug. "My father was the head of the colony, he was the one who funded it in the beginning, his work made him the force of the colony, the life of it. But OZ turned the people against him and they threw him down, they thought he'd taken control of them, they didn't know it was OZ that had played with their minds. Their plan was to use the resource satellites to manufacture weapons to protect the colony, but they were really for OZ, they just didn't know it. Father knew, he took one of the satellites and they killed him. My sister too, though she died protecting me. I got too close to the satellite before they killed him."  
  
It was delivered in such a smooth voice that a moment passed before he realized what the boy had said and Piccolo's eyes narrowed in disbelief. "The colony killed them? The people did?"  
  
"Yes. And I went on and built my Gundam, the Wing Zero. It was more powerful than any other Gundam, and I was insane. There was no need for such power, but I did it. I used the suit to destroy a satellite...and a colony." Quatre blinked suddenly, his voice breaking a bit. He'd thought he was beyond it, but his guilt rushed up, clamoring for attention. "But I warned them first. I didn't kill the colonists. I did destroy the colony, though."  
  
"You should have killed the colonists who betrayed your family."  
  
His surprise was evident and he blinked at Piccolo, taking in the man's glare and the fact that Piccolo's anger was on his behalf. He was torn by a need to deny it, but he couldn't. "I still hate them," he whispered, his eyes burning. "I shouldn't. They were tricked, controlled by someone wiser than them and they were foolish. But not evil. They didn't know what they were doing, the mistake they were making." Reminded of his own mistake, he looked up, holding Piccolo's eyes. "Trowa was inside OZ, he was hiding there, acting as one of their soldiers in able to get to the one in charge." He blinked when the man repeated the name, then he continued.  
  
"Heero was there too, he was captured trying to destroy some suits OZ had made. They sent both of them after me, after the new Gundam that claimed it would destroy a colony. They went to protect the colony from *me*. That's what Gundam pilots are supposed to do. And I tried to kill Heero. I almost killed Trowa. He had amnesia for a long, long time."  
  
The boy was silent, and Piccolo watched him, eyes narrowed. Quatre had dropped his gaze, and he frowned. "Why did you do it? You said you went insane?"  
  
"The Zero, the Gundam I built, it manipulates the brain of its pilot. I was convinced that anyone who had weapons in space was an enemy, including the colonies that had started to arm themselves *and* my fellow pilots who were in armed suits. But that's not the real reason. My mind was broken. I have no one to blame but myself...I couldn't handle the death of my father...and my sister."  
  
"Then your dreams are about what you did to Trowa."   
  
The throaty voice was low, but Quatre didn't blink, his eyes sad. "Yes. He let himself be hit, he got in front of a blow that was aimed for Heero and his suit blew up. Trowa sacrificed himself for me, to bring me back, to save my soul. Because I was too weak to handle the pain and the suit."  
  
"But he didn't die," Piccolo said sharply, eyes still narrowed. "You didn't kill him."  
  
"No. But I thought I had, for months I thought he was dead. My space heart made it worse since we've been connected since we first met. And then, when I found him again he didn't know who I was. It's so hard now, being broken from him, that connection." Dropping his eyes, he sighed and leaned his chin on his folded hands, looking up at Piccolo who sat across the small table from him. "Have you ever felt that way? As if you were connected to someone so deep they're almost a part of you?" The man laughed suddenly, and Quatre blinked, confused and almost a bit hurt as he wondered if he was being mocked. He didn't see Piccolo as the type to do that, but the man's laughter was real.  
  
"Actually, I understand completely. You see, I am not just myself. I merged recently with someone, Kami. A long time ago, Kami separated the evil from himself and that was my origin. It was only with the appearance of Cell that we merged once more to become one and stronger than either of us was alone. I hate him. But our joining has made me complete in a way I've never known and I cannot imagine being separated again, even if it were possible."  
  
"He separated the evil? But you're not..."  
  
"That was in the past," Piccolo said sharply.   
  
He wasn't going to pry, as the man was obviously ill at ease with the subject. "We've both made our mistakes. At least you aren't haunted by yours." They sat in companionable silence for a while, then Quatre stood, crossing the kitchen and pouring himself another cup of tea. It was as he turned back to the table that he remembered his manners, and he managed a small smile when Piccolo looked up. "I'm sorry. Would you like some tea?" The man's eyes seemed to spark, and he shook his head. "Oh. I've noticed that you don't eat, and you don't drink either?"  
  
"Water occasionally," Piccolo said, taking in the boy's surprised gaze. He looked at the blonde boy for a minute, those wide eyes on him, then he leaned across the table and took the small cup. Bringing it to his lips, he let some fall onto his tongue and grimaced as he swallowed, raising an eyebrow ridge. "It doesn't taste like much. You drink this by choice?"  
  
Quatre smiled, taking the cup back, and he stood again. It took little time to cross the room, and he added some honey to the tea, stirring thoroughly before handing it back to the Namek. "Try that."  
  
After taking a sip, Piccolo made another face. "I don't know which is worse."  
  
"You've *never* had tea before?" He couldn't imagine, and he knew that the fighters drank it, at least Krillin had once, and Chee-chee.  
  
"No," Piccolo said, glaring at the dark liquid as he tried another drink with the same result. "I don't need food to sustain me. Just water."  
  
"Well, there isn't much in tea to sustain anyone. Except for the caffeine, it's flavored water. Then you don't eat because you don't need it? Can you eat?" Quatre knew he probably shouldn't ask, but he was curious about the man, and he leaned forward, eager for the answer.   
  
"I can eat, but there isn't a point if it's unnecessary." He blinked when the blonde boy smiled suddenly, and he was surprised as Quatre seemed happier than he'd been since before they'd begun the training.   
  
Sitting down, Quatre sighed. "Duo would argue with you that there's pleasure in food, beyond the necessity of eating."  
  
He thought about it for a second, then Piccolo smirked as he knew that Goku and Gohan would no doubt agree with that. They definitely enjoyed eating.  
  
* * *  
  
"I'm okay, really." Quatre winced when the man glared down at him, and he was glad to be deposited in a chair at the kitchen table. Warm wetness trailed down his cheek, but he was certain the cut wasn't that deep. He'd struck his forehead on a panel during the training, and the Namek had called an end to the session as soon as he'd mentioned his injury. The man seemed to be overreacting to the minor wound in a way he'd never expected.   
  
"This was a bad idea," Piccolo growled, snatching a rag off the rack over the sink. His long strides brought him to the boy in seconds, and his teeth gnashed at the bright red blood that practically covered half of Quatre's face. He'd had no idea the boy was so susceptible to injury, and from what he could see the cut wasn't even that long. As far as he could recall, he'd never seen such a small wound bleed so much; the fighters shook such things off as mere pricks.   
  
Quatre's breath hissed between his teeth as the angry man pressed the cloth to his head, and his hand pushed him away, the pressure hurting more than the cut. Holding it himself, he tilted his head, looking up at Piccolo. "It was a *good* idea, in theory. If you want to test your growing strength, you need a constant. Goku must have found that out when he trained with Gohan as they were both increasing. He didn't have a steady strength to compare himself to." Licking his lips, he gagged suddenly, the coppery taste making him grimace as blood had trickled to the corner of his mouth. Still holding the rag, he pushed his chair back and crossed the room, taking another towel from over the sink. He wet it, wiping his mouth quickly, then turned to go into the bathroom only to find his way blocked and he blinked in surprise.  
  
"Where are you going?" The injury had served to remind him how frail the boy was, and he fully expected him to collapse at any moment. He was surprised that he was even able to walk and he knew the boy weighed less than Gohan despite the difference in height. It wasn't right to expect such weakness, but the blood caught him in an odd way, and he couldn't help his reasoning. The blonde boy seemed even paler with the dark stain on his cheek.  
  
"I need to use the mirror in the bathroom," Quatre said, his eyes wide. "I don't think it's deep, but I need to clean it before I wrap it to prevent infection." Piccolo was looking at him, expression dark, and he smiled a little as he suddenly found an urge to laugh. "Piccolo, this isn't the first time I've gotten a knock in Sandrock. I do know how to take care of myself." The tall man didn't even blink, and his own eyes widened a bit more, warmth moving through him as he realized it was concern that angered the man; concern for him. "Come with me, I'll show you. I'm sure it's just a small cut."  
  
He didn't smile as Piccolo moved to the side, but it was a close thing and the man followed him to the bathroom. "You know, head wounds tend to bleed more than other cuts so long as an artery hasn't been clipped." Having reached the bathroom, he wet the rag again, washing his face before removing the dry one. He smiled a little, seeing how small the cut was, no more than an inch and a half. It was near his hairline, and he held his damp bangs back, cleaning it thoroughly before glancing at the reflection in the mirror. "See how small it is? But it bleeds more because it's a head wound. Don't people on this planet bleed?"  
  
Nodding, Piccolo's eyes narrowed as he saw that the cut was in fact tiny in comparison to the battle wounds he was acquainted with. "Yes, but not that much."  
  
Quatre shook his head, blotting the cut carefully, his eyes still on the man visible over his shoulder. "It would be interesting to study the 'humans' here, determine the true differences."  
  
"We should go out," Piccolo said, his eyes dropping to the red-stained cloth the boy had dropped in the sink. "You should."  
  
"Why?" His voice rose, but he couldn't help it. He had pride, and it was insulting that the man had so little faith in him. "Because I got a rough knock? Your attack was stronger than any you've used so far. That's a sign that this is obviously doing good. Besides, it's only been two months. If Sandrock can take it, then I can too."  
  
Piccolo blinked, but the boy's evident fury hadn't been expected, and he stared at those narrow eyes. They sparked at him. His lips curved into a smirk, and he wanted to laugh at how determined the blonde looked, as if he was determined to put up a fight if Piccolo were to try and send him out of the time chamber. The idea was so ludicrous, he could feel his anger being replaced by something else and he stared at the cut as Quatre's arm had fallen away. The bleeding had stopped and he took in the boy's stubborn expression one more time before turning and leaving the room, his smirk becoming a smile as soon as his back was to Quatre.  
  
* * *  
  
Piccolo stood, not far from the pillars that held the roof of the building, and his back was to Quatre. The man had been out there for at least an hour as Quatre well knew since he'd woken about an hour ago to find him standing there, silent. The Namek's hands were curled into fists, and he looked at them, his eyes traveling over the man's back. He didn't sense anger from him, despite how tense he looked and Quatre drew his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them as he watched.   
  
Lowering his chin, he propped it on his crossed wrists, a quiet sigh passing his lips as he closed his eyes. His heart was heavy with a deep sadness borne from the feeling that was building up in him. It was a feeling he was well acquainted with, and his arms tightened as he reminded himself that now wasn't the time to be consumed with it. But he knew he couldn't help it, he'd tried before and nothing helped, not really. At best, he could push it aside for a while but it always came back; not really gone just detoured for brief periods.  
  
A slightly heavy weight dropped on his shoulder, and Quatre flinched, not looking up as there was only one person it could be. He didn't move for a moment, then he turned his head, looking at the green hand that rested on his shoulder and he studied the joints of the man's fingers, the thick, pointed nails. The hand moved, lifting, and he followed it, turning his head as his eyes flicked upward to meet Piccolo's gaze and he turned away sharply. Closing his eyes in pain and self-condemnation, he buried his head against his knees, arms holding his legs tight to his chest.  
  
Piccolo stared down at the boy, his expression thoughtful and he touched a hand to Quatre's hair, rubbing a few silken strands between his fingers. The intense look he'd received made him wonder. "Quatre."  
  
Quatre leaned forward suddenly, kneeling briefly as he climbed to his feet. Glancing back at the tall man, he flushed and dropped his gaze, his head lowering. "I'm going for a walk," he said quietly. He turned away and walked forward into the seemingly endless whiteness.  
  
His eyes narrowed as he watched the boy's tan vest disappear, and Piccolo's hands curled again. Quatre was so quiet, gentle and young and it was obvious to him how confused the boy was, his actions spoke more words than he needed to hear. Gritting his teeth, he moved suddenly, his mind made up. He could have let it pass, but he could see that it was eating the boy up, and he himself wanted it out in the open, one way or the other. This hadn't been the first time he'd caught Quatre watching him, that light pink flush to his pale cheeks, the way he lowered his eyes so quickly when Piccolo looked at him. He was open and honest about everything else, and the Namek simply didn't know why he had so much trouble with his feelings.  
  
He spotted the boy long before he could have been seen, even if Quatre had been looking, as his own eyesight was much better. As it was, those pale blue-green eyes were closed and Piccolo could almost see the emotion he was feeling, a dark, smoky blue light surrounding his slender frame. The boy was sitting with his legs crossed, his arms down on either leg, hands lying palm up on his knees and his fingers were curled naturally. His head was bowed so his thick pale blonde hair fell down into his eyes, but Piccolo could see that they were closed, dark lashes standing out against the boy's pale cheeks. His white shirt and vest were folded neatly beside him, his tan shoes set near them and Piccolo wondered what he could be doing. Then his eyes touched the boy's pale chest and he marveled at how slender he was before his gaze stopped on Quatre's right arm as he traced the long scar that ran up it.  
  
Starting at the boy's wrist, it stretched in a nearly straight line to his elbow. Piccolo's eyes snapped to the other arm, and he picked out a similar scar, this one also starting at the wrist but only going two inches at most. They were old, faded, but he knew what they signified and the thought angered him enough so that he came forward silently, his eyes narrowed to slits.  
  
Quatre gasped when his wrists were grasped suddenly, and his heart pounded fiercely for a second till he realized it was Piccolo. Then he saw that the man was glaring at his scars and his face went blank as he too looked at them. "I was eleven when I did that." His voice was soft, emotionless and flat and his body seemed void of feeling, his eyes tracing his right arm. "I didn't want to live. I didn't see myself as having any worth and my father didn't care, not about me or anything to do with me. I thought he could always get another son, he didn't need me." Blinking slowly, his lips curved into a small, cheerless smile and he looked up at Piccolo, not bothered by the man's intense gaze. "I was so stupid. Just another lonely kid who didn't understand anything. I didn't know there were *ways* to make a difference, even if no one knows or notices."  
  
The man didn't hold him when he pulled his hands away, and Quatre grabbed his shirt, sliding his arms into it. "Why did you come out here?" he asked, buttoning his cuffs slowly, not looking up.  
  
"We need to talk."  
  
Quatre frowned, realizing he'd missed a button, and he undid his shirt again, starting over from the bottom up. "Okay, but you could have waited until I got back."  
  
"What were you doing?" Piccolo asked, his eyes watching the boy's pale hands.  
  
"Meditating," he murmured, and he sighed. "And thinking, accepting myself and the way things are." He froze as a green hand entered his line of vision, then a finger brushed his chest and open collar making him shiver and look up with wide and guilty eyes.  
  
"Is that how they do it on your planet?" Piccolo asked, his voice low. "Looking, wanting and never saying anything..." The boy's eyes were so wide and Quatre shook his head quickly. "I understand." Crouching down, he took the boy's wrist where it hovered over his chest and he pushed it aside gently, leaning close so his lips brushed the exposed skin lightly.  
  
***NOTE*** The rest of this part cannot be posted on fanfiction.net because of the ban on NC-17 material. For the rest of this part go to the following url:  
  
http://www.geocities.com/arigatomina_gwfics/altern7.html 


	8. Part 8

Author's Notes: Corrections on DBZ facts are welcome.  
Category: Gundam Wing/Dragon Ball Z cross-over, TWT, partial AU(DBZ side)  
Pairings: 2+1/1+2, 3+4/4+3, Piccolox4, Trunks+2/2+Trunks, will be Trunksx2, 1x2, 3x4  
Warnings: shonen ai, hints of angst  
Author: Arigatomina  
Email: arigatoumina@hotmail.com  
Complete Archive: www.geocities.com/arigatomina  
  
Alternate Timelines Indeed  
  
Part 8  
  
//Nine hours, forty-three minutes and...eight seconds. This sucks.// It wasn't that he'd been waiting long for his partner to get out of the chamber, not really, but time was passing much too slowly. Duo was getting bored, a state of mind he didn't like one bit and one he avoided as much as possible. Originally, he'd thought the wait would be easy, no reason to think otherwise. After all, he was fairly certain Quatre wouldn't stay the entire year, and he'd expected the boy to be out within a few hours. Glancing at his watch again, he sighed and looked around.   
  
They were at the top of the tower again, and he was leaning against one of the marble pillars. All things considered, he had a very nice view of the top of clouds, but he wasn't interested. Instead, he'd taken to watching the time and keeping an eye open for visitors. While it had only been about ten hours since Piccolo and Quatre had gone into the chamber, Tien and Yamcha had been paying the occasional visit, stopping by before leaving again. He didn't know what they were doing, aside from the watch, but he envied them. As it was, he had said he wanted to wait there, and he couldn't change his mind now. The way his luck went, Quatre would probably come out as soon as he left.  
  
He hadn't seen any of the other fighters, and except for Vegeta, who was impatient for his own turn in the chamber, it was just him and the cat on the level below them. His lips curved into a smile, and he remembered how he'd stared when he'd been introduced to Corin. If he'd ever considered himself open-minded, he was enlightened now. Of course, Trunks had also introduced him to a humanoid pig, but he didn't even want to think about that one. There was only so much he could take in, in such a short amount of time. He was about to sigh again when he caught sight of a now-familiar bluish-white light from over the edge of the tower. "Finally."  
  
Standing, he grinned when Trunks landed before him. "Glad you're back. You wouldn't believe how boring it is waiting with just *him* for company." He inclined his head toward the railing where Vegeta was standing, the saiyan's back to them. Then his eyes widened when he saw what the boy was holding and he nearly rubbed his hands together. "Is that food? I'm starved."  
  
"I thought you would be. You haven't eaten since we found you. It's been nearly two days." Trunks smiled a bit and handed the closed bowl to Duo, sitting in front of him when the boy promptly dropped to the floor. "My mom sent it over."  
  
"Thanks," Duo said quickly. Crossing his legs under him, he opened the lid, taking note of the fact that it was the same sort of bowl they had on Earth. Then he blinked, picking up the chopsticks that were inside as he prodded the noodles. They looked edible enough, and he thought they resembled some of the stuff he'd seen Heero eat before.   
  
Trunks watched the boy pick at the food, then he smirked when Duo's face lit up and he began to eat with relish. "Not bad, is it. I know it's not much, but I don't think it'll be much longer. Even if Quatre is willing to stay, Piccolo said they'd be out in six months at the latest. That's only two more hours."  
  
"Right," Duo managed, still eating. He was nowhere near as fast as Goku and Gohan had been, but he wasn't a slow eater. Finishing the bowl, he set it to the side, sighing with content. "I needed that. So, what's everyone else doing?"  
  
"Sleeping. It's late, you know." He couldn't help his smirk when the boy leaned toward the edge, blinking quickly.   
  
"No way. It doesn't look dark enough. I mean, sure, I knew it was getting darker, but it can't be that late. What time do you people sleep here?"  
  
"It's brighter up here, it's around midnight." Duo was looking at his watch, and Trunks took the boy's wrist, moving it to where he could see the dial. "This is about four hours off, Duo."  
  
"Huh. Time must be different here. Then again, we have time zones on earth, so it makes sense. Okay, so why aren't *you* sleeping?" He leaned back again, smiling easily. "I mean, I'm glad you aren't, don't get me wrong."  
  
"I thought you'd like the company."   
  
"Yeah. You know, it's like time passes slower up here. Does it? Or is it because I'm waiting. I know time seems to drag when you're waiting for something to happen." Frowning, Duo shifted before settling again and he noticed that Trunks seemed to be as impatient as him. He was fidgeting and the American was glad to see it, especially since Trunks hadn't been sitting there waiting like he had.  
  
"It was like that when Goku and Gohan went in," Trunks said, nodding slowly. For some reason, he didn't feel like sitting in silence, and while he could normally do so, he was relieved to have something to talk about. Too often, he was silent, consumed by dark thoughts, especially now. "That day seemed to last for months, but it didn't. I think it probably is just in our minds. As far as I know, time passes the same up here as it does on Earth."  
  
"A watched pot never boils," Duo said loftily, eyes sparkling when the lavender haired boy blinked at him. "Anyway, what's this chamber like? I was planning to ask Quatre when he gets out, but I figure you've been in there, so there's no point waiting." The boy across from him dropped his eyes, and Duo stared as he could swear Trunks was glaring.  
  
After a moment, Trunks glanced to where his father stood motionless, yards away with his back to them. He could no doubt hear them, and he glared at the man. He was remembering how his father had yelled at him, warning him to silence and secrecy in regards to their training. In the end, it hadn't mattered that they'd not told Goku how they'd powered to the next level, both he and Gohan had obviously gone beyond it all on their own. Shaking his head, he was surprised when he realized Duo was staring at him, the boy's raised eyebrow reminding him of the question. "Well, it was hard for me, very hard. I think the time chamber...makes the emotions of the people in it...real somehow. It was as if the weather was changing, but it wasn't, just the emotions. Once I realized what was happening, it pretty much stopped. Aside from that, it's huge and the atmosphere is thicker, the gravity heavier than on earth."  
  
"Then things weigh more?" Duo asked, imagining his Gundam plastered to the ground from unbearable weight. "It can't weigh that much, or Quatre wouldn't have stayed in there so long."  
  
"No, it wasn't that much stronger than on Earth. After a while, I didn't even notice it anymore."   
  
"Trunks, why don't you tell me about the world you came from. I still can't get over the fact that you traveled through time. If people back home learned how to make a time machine...shit, that's a bad thought."  
  
"Yes, I know. My mom made it and we made sure no one knew it existed."  
  
"But technology like that," Duo said, shaking his head. "And you guys don't even have beam sabers. I mean, sure, you don't fight like we do, but I doubt if we'll ever have the technology to build a time machine."  
  
"My mother's a genius." The longhaired boy smirked, but Trunks nodded solemnly. "I'm not bragging, she really is. Our technology in the future didn't actually grow at all. The androids destroyed almost everything. But my mother said she'd been working on the designs for the machine for years before she finally got it right. I didn't even know what her project was until she was finished, that's how much of a secret she kept it."  
  
"But she made it and sent you back here. And then Cell showed up. But you didn't know about him, why not? Is he part of the shift in timelines you were talking about?"   
  
Frowning, Trunks shook his head. It was rather confusing, and he wasn't sure if he actually wanted to get into it. But there was nothing better to do. "Even if I had never come back, Cell would have been born eventually. It took him years to become mature from his larval form. He came here in my time machine."  
  
"From your time," Duo murmured, wincing at the thought. "Then he takes it *after* you go back home?"  
  
"Yes. After I go back, I'm supposed to be able to destroy the two androids in my time. Without them to absorb, Cell had to use my time machine to come back to this time where they still were. You see, in this time, the infant Cell was little more than a fetus, and we've destroyed it so he can't be born again into the future of this world. When I do go back to my time, I'll have to be strong enough to destroy Cell before he can use my time machine."  
  
"Wait," Duo grinned, raising a hand. "Okay, if he's already here, and he came in *your* time machine, then you've already been beaten by him in the future, right? So if you go back, you'll just be giving him access to this world through your time machine. Wouldn't it make more sense not to go back at all? I know you must be worried about your world, but if you don't go back, then he can't get here." He stopped for a moment, then frowned suddenly. "Never mind. If he's here, then he's already gotten the time machine, so you *must* go back eventually. What a mess!"  
  
"You're forgetting the time lines," Trunks said. He didn't say anymore since he was sure he'd just confuse the boy more. It was difficult enough for him, and he'd had plenty of time to think things through.  
  
"That's right," Duo nodded slowly, "there are at least three time lines. There's the one where everyone gets killed by the androids and you grow up to use the time machine. In that one, you go back after helping the fighters, and are taken by Cell so he can use your time machine to come back here. That's your first timeline." Trunks was looking at him with blatant surprise, and he grinned. "I'm right, aren't I? And then there's the timeline changed here, where the fighters live because you came back but there are three androids instead of two and Cell ends up taking them all. That's the one we're in now. The last one, from what you said, would be a future of this world where Cell never gets born to destroy anything." His mind was buzzing slightly, but he grinned, shaking his head. "It's science fiction; paradoxes and all. I guess it really *is* a good thing time machine's aren't all over the place or it would *really* get complicated."  
  
Laughing at him, Trunks shook his head as well. "Even hearing you say the same thing I've already realized is confusing me."  
  
The teen's pale blue eyes were bright, and Duo smiled suddenly, tilting his head. "You shouldn't have let Bulma cut your hair." Trunks blinked sharply, not doubt wondering where the comment had come from, and Duo's smile widened. "I have *never* seen hair that color before. I mean, it's like a light purple, lavender or something. It doesn't look bad short, but the color really stood out when you had it longer." The boy was still blinking at him, and Duo let out a quiet chuckle, grimacing at himself. "Heh...just ignore me. I tent to babble nonsense sometimes."  
  
"Do you like long hair?" Trunks asked, ignoring the boy's self-depreciating expression. "Is that why you keep yours so long? I've never had long hair before I came here and went into the time-chamber, but it was a nuisance. I mean, I had to tie it back so it wouldn't get into my eyes."  
  
"I know how that is," Duo admitted, touching his braid as he pulled it over one shoulder. "It's a lot of trouble to take care of but...I've never had much." His eyes flicked upward and he gave Trunks a small smile. "But this is mine, and it's a memento. It reminds me of my past...I can still remember the first time it was braided for me. It's a fond memory." He'd never really had an opportunity to talk about his hair before, and while he was sure it was normally considered a moot subject, to him it had significance. "I know I should have cut it years ago, and for a Gundam pilot, it's dangerous to have such a distinguishing feature. Not to mention the fact that it tends to get singed a lot. But I couldn't imagine ever cutting it. I guess I'm obsessed a little."   
  
"If you never cut it, I'm surprised it isn't longer. Though, it must break a lot when you comb it out."  
  
Duo frowned at that, shaking his head. "I'm only fifteen, hair takes time to grow. And it doesn't *break*, not much. It's thick, see?" Extending his hand, he grinned when Trunks touched the tip of his braid as if it were something fragile. The boy's expression was wonderful for his pride and his smile turned smug as he nodded. "Someone close to me once said the reason I'm so thin is because all of the nutrients go to my hair. She was probably right, I mean, I eat all the time and don't gain weight. All those vitamins have to go somewhere."  
  
Despite the boy's words, Trunks touched the hair carefully. It wasn't quite as fine as he'd originally thought, but he was still wary of breaking any of the slender strands. He wondered how it had stood up to being chewed on, and he suddenly understood why Duo had looked so discomfited the day before. Glancing up, he blinked at Duo's bright eyes. He seemed to be enjoying the attention, and Trunks took his time admiring the boy's hair. "It's a beautiful color."  
  
Duo's eyes widened for a moment before he frowned at his braid, raising an eyebrow. "It's brown." He looked down at the hand holding the tip of his braid and his cheeks warmed with a light flush. "Man, I *must* be bored. We're talking about hair. Though, it's a nice distraction, eh? I haven't looked at my watch for...fifteen minutes...?" Letting go of his hair, Trunks gave a smile at his disappointed face and Duo sighed. He looked toward the door Quatre and Piccolo would be coming out, and he flinched suddenly, taken back by glaring black eyes. He'd completely forgotten the man was there, and he was nervous despite himself at being on the receiving end of that look. Lowering his voice, he swallowed then whispered to the boy in front of him. "Is he always so angry?"  
  
Turning his head, Trunks looked to where Vegeta was standing near the door to the time chamber. The man was far enough away that he hadn't given him much thought, but he frowned now as he saw the dark glare being sent to them. Then the glare snapped to him and he looked away sharply, not wanting to start anything. Duo was watching him, and he dropped his eyes. "I don't really know. All that I know about him is what my mother told me, and that wasn't much. Since coming here, though, I've found him to be..."  
  
"Angry," Duo said, finishing Trunks' statement when the lavender-haired teen trailed off. "It's like he's consumed by constant anger. But at what?" Remembering what Quatre had said about Goku, Duo leaned closer to Trunks, not wanting the black-haired man to be able to overhear. "Trunks, why do you rely on Goku so much? Is he really that much stronger than your father? I was thinking about what Quatre said, do you think that's what makes him so angry?"  
  
"My father is a prince," Trunks said softly, a glance showing that Vegeta had turned his back on them. "He's the prince of all Saiyans and because of that he should by right be stronger than Goku. It does infuriate him, his inability to get stronger than his rival."  
  
Duo could practically feel the temperature lowering with the boy's soft voice and he grinned suddenly. Trunks jerked back, but he could see the shadow break from over those pale blue eyes and he leaned closer till inches separated them, his expression one of secrecy. "You know something, Trunks? You don't look much like your dad. I mean, look at him. Goku and Gohan look more like him, Vegeta's hair defies gravity." It took nearly a full minute, but Duo grinned when a small smile tugged at Trunks' lips before he gave in to a smirk. "Although, I did notice that your blonde hair did that, too."  
  
"I'm only half-Saiyan," Trunks said, glancing over his shoulder to look at Vegeta. This time, he was able to smirk at the man's angrily straight back, thinking for the first time how odd Saiyan hair must be to outsiders. He hadn't really thought of it, having grown up with Gohan around, and it was neat to imagine what Duo's first thought had been. "I guess you don't have anything like that where you come from."  
  
"Well, you can do some strange stuff with hairspray and gel, but normally hair lies down. Although, Trowa has some odd hair." He was about to explain about the green-eyed pilot when he realized they were very close, almost huddled. A glance wasn't needed to know it looked bad, and Duo leaned back with a small smile. "Know what? We're still talking about hair. Believe it or not, I am capable of talking about other things, I don't know why I keep going back to that."  
  
"Well, we're talking for the sake of talking, it doesn't really matter *what* we talk about." For some reason his words caused a flicker to pass over Duo's face, and he wondered what it was. The boy's eyes closed for a moment, and he could almost feel anger radiating from him. "Duo?"  
  
"You're too easy on me," Duo said softly, not opening his eyes as he scooted back till he was leaning against the pillar again. "It's a bad habit I have, talking without having anything important to say. I *can* be quiet, though."  
  
Trunks wasn't sure, but he didn't think the last statement was for him at all, and he frowned. "I like talking with you," he said softly, holding still when Duo's eyes flicked open and focused on him. "I don't know anyone who can just...talk. It's easy to forget things, and I don't care if the topic is odd or unimportant, it's better than silence."  
  
"Uncomfortable silence," Duo said slowly, blinking as he looked to the side. "I've always had a problem with silence, I start thinking about myself and I never like what I find. So I fill in the silence. But that's a weakness of mine, and I've been wanting to break myself of the habit. I don't know, it's just easy to talk to you."  
  
"I think silence has its place. When you have things to concentrate on, plans to make or things to decide, then it's probably a good idea to stay quiet without any distractions. But you weren't distracting me." Trunks hesitated, smirking when Duo's eyes snapped to him and the boy raised an eyebrow. "Well, I guess it was distracting, but I was contributing to it and it was a welcome distraction. I never really thought about it, but I usually am quiet. There's no one I really talk to, certainly not about things that don't matter, and I have spent a *lot* of time 'thinking about myself.' Believe me, I don't like that any more than you do."  
  
"Guess we have something in common then," Duo murmured, leaning his head against the pillar. "But still. If we're going to talk, it might as well be about something useful."  
  
"You could tell me about your world," Trunks offered. "I don't know if you'd consider that useful, but I would like to hear more about those colonies in space. It sounds like advanced technology."  
  
"Well, they weren't exactly thrown together in a day," Duo laughed, "and I don't know the details of how they're set up, not all of them, but I've been on a few since becoming a pilot. I can tell you how the people in space handle living in colonies. It's a lot different from living on the earth, though they try to make it as much *like* the earth as they can."  
  
"Why did they leave the earth if they were just going to make the colonies the same?"  
  
"Freedom," Duo said solemnly, eyes bright. "And that's the reason we're protecting the colonies."  
  
* * *  
  
The bed was nearly too small for them, but it made closeness a necessity that neither minded. Piccolo had learned that Quatre liked to talk before falling asleep, and he lay on his back, the small boy curled half on his chest. His fingers threaded through thick blonde hair and he stared at the white ceiling above them, listening to Quatre's sigh. "Is it a sad tale?"  
  
"My first kiss..." Quatre shifted a bit, rubbing his cheek against the man's dark shirt as he looked at the curtain that circled part of the bed. "It was after one of our first victories, everyone was so proud. They had a celebration. Nothing big, but it was nice to be a part of something like that, and I think it was their way of making me one of them."  
  
"The Maguanacs?" He felt the boy nod, and he fell silent, waiting for him to continue. While the information was slow in coming, he had heard quite a bit about Quatre's past, and he knew how the boy had joined the Arabs after coming to Earth.  
  
"One of the men, Samir, he hugged me and said it was a pleasure fighting at my side. Then he kissed me. It was just a kiss, more friendly than anything else, but I remember how surprised I was. I didn't notice Rashid watching, but I overheard him later. He was yelling at Samir. He said he'd taken...liberties with me. It was humiliating, knowing they were talking about me, but I couldn't stop listening. And Samir was so angry, he said I wasn't a little kid. I remember thinking that he was right, though it was horrible when he told Rashid that I hadn't argued with it. I couldn't see them, but I think Rashid hit him then, I could hear something falling. I felt so bad, I still do. After that, Samir didn't really look at me anymore, and everyone was careful not to touch me. Except for Rashid, no one so much as laid a hand on my shoulder."  
  
Piccolo's arm tightened around the boy, and he could feel Quatre burrow against him. It was so obvious that he needed contact. More than anything, he'd noticed that the blonde had a need for physical touches; he loved to be held. While they'd had sex occasionally after that first time, Piccolo was beginning to wonder if that was the best thing for the boy. He seemed just as satisfied if they lay together, though he was losing some of his shyness. Quatre shifted on him again, and he tilted his head back as the boy pressed against his neck. "You've never had it easy, have you."  
  
"My entire life has been easy," Quatre said softly, hiding his face against smooth but warm skin. "Looking at what the other pilots went through, I've had it very easy. I wasn't abused, there was no violence during my childhood, and I never wanted for anything."  
  
"Nothing material." Another of those soft sighs reached his ears and Piccolo could feel the boy's tense back smoothing out beneath his arm. It was a sign that the boy was ready to sleep, and he kept quiet. He was thinking about the world beyond the time chamber, and he nearly flinched when Quatre's whisper reached him, as if he'd read his mind.  
  
"I don't want to leave..." His eyes were closed, but he couldn't have seen Piccolo's expression since his face was hidden against the man's neck. They couldn't stay, he knew that, and he knew it was horrible to wish they could, but he couldn't help it. Things would be much different outside the chamber. He'd never let Duo know about them, and he was certain Piccolo wouldn't want his friends to know either. It was one more proof that his feelings were perverted, unacceptable.   
  
Quatre's feelings were stronger than his, but Piccolo gave a silent agreement with the boy's admission. He had no concept of love, so he didn't know if the feeling was a part of what they had. But he felt a pang of cold sadness at the thought of losing the boy. Minutes passed in silence before he knew from Quatre's smooth breathing that he was asleep, and he looked at the ceiling again. He didn't know if he was helping or hurting the boy, but there'd been no more nightmares since they'd started sharing a bed. That had to mean something.  
  
* * *  
TBC  
--notes--  
I ended up having an extra part, but the next one will definitely focus on Trunks and Duo. Expect a lemon. 


	9. Part 9

Category: Anime, Dragonball Z, Gundam Wing, Yaoi, TWT, partial AU  
Warnings: shonen ai  
Pairings: Piccolox4/4+Piccolo, will be Trunksx2, 1x2, 3x4  
Author: Arigatomina  
Email: arigatoumina@hotmail.com  
Website/Complete Archive: http://www.geocities.com/arigatomina  
  
Alternate Timelines Indeed  
  
Part 9  
  
The two boys weren't quite as close to each other as they'd been the last time he looked, but Vegeta's lips twitched into a sneer anyway. His anger had given away to dark amusement at the two of them. It was simply too much. He'd been enraged at first, especially since the person his so-called 'son' was sitting with had managed to make a fool of him with that ridiculous machine of his. But looking at the longhaired boy, he could see why Trunks would ignore his gender. His 'son' was older than he acted, despite the horrible upbringing Bulma had obviously given him in the other timeline. The half-saiyan was more than old enough to be sexually active and while Vegeta was disgusted by the boy's choice, he did understand it. The strange child was too weak to be a man, but his long hair and big eyes made him an appropriate female. It obviously wasn't the boy's strength that attracted Trunks, and that knowledge was what allowed his anger to wan. The boy was a disappointment, but Vegeta saw no reason to blame himself.  
  
Besides that, he didn't have any expectations of the half-saiyan. His own son, the baby he'd spawned with that infuriating woman, was going to be a saiyan no matter what. The teenage version's choice was irritating, not because the boy was evidently attracted to a male, but because the fool had chosen one so very weak. If Trunks had to go after another male, the least he could do would be to pick one equal in strength. Staring at the two animated boys, Vegeta snorted softly. Bulma was to blame for this, as well as Kakarrot's son. They were the ones who'd failed so miserably in raising the half-saiyan. The longhaired boy's soft laugh reached him and his eyebrow twitched despite himself. He wasn't angry, he reminded himself, turning back to glare at the doorway. He wasn't to blame for Trunks' behavior. And it wasn't as if anything would come of the boy's blatant attention. The strange child was far too young. As far as physical looks went, the boy was thinner than Gohan.  
  
Arms folded tightly over his chest, Vegeta glared at the closed door, doing his damnedest to will it open. Instead of that 'wished-for' movement, the air in front of him shimmered and he abruptly found bright black eyes sparkling at him from an infuriatingly familiar face. His sneer darkened as he resisted the instinct to move back or lash out. "Kakarrot."  
  
"Hi Vegeta," Goku grinned, his hand falling from his forehead. "Guess I didn't scare you, that's good. Your ki was the strongest, so I sought you out." Blinking, he glanced beyond the perpetually glaring saiyan to wave at Trunks. The lavender-haired youth looked up in surprise and he grinned. "Hey, you two, how's it going? I figured I might as well get here a few minutes early. Shouldn't be too long now, and I'm sure Vegeta doesn't want to wait for me to get that suit out of there so he can train. Ne, Vegeta?" The two boys were moving toward them, but Goku glanced to the side, giving the saiyan a quick and innocent smile. "Unless you've changed your mind? You could always go in with Duo next."  
  
A thick invisible wall had suddenly appeared in his path and Duo jerked to a halt, his back tensing. There was no way. Wing Zero and a whole mess of beam cannons wouldn't be enough to make him go into that place with Vegeta. Nope, not him. He planned to live past sunrise. The black-haired man in question slowly turned to look at him and Duo's mouth went dry, his eyes wide. There was something very scary about that black glare, and he felt as if a huge weight lifted from him when it shifted to Trunks.  
  
The half-saiyan was staring at him as if he really expected him to think about it and Vegeta smirked suddenly. He wasn't about to take the useless child into the chamber of space and time with him, but something about Trunks' quick frown made him turn to face the two, his gaze flicking back to Duo. The longhaired boy looked like he expected an attack, and Vegeta's lips twitched in amusement. Very aware of his son's anger, he let his eyes travel down the human's black-clothed length, very slow as they rose again to stare into wide violet eyes. A second later Trunks moved in front of the boy, nearly making Vegeta laugh with his blistering expression. "Do you have an objection to that?" he drawled.  
  
Trunks nearly flinched at the contempt dripping from that low voice, his hands curling into fists. He couldn't stand to have the man look at him like that, but he knew he had to interfere. Duo wouldn't last two hours alone with the saiyan, even with his Gundam. Vegeta simply could not be trusted, not when he was smirking like that. "I'm sure you don't need the help," he said slowly, not quite growling at the man. "You train alone."  
  
Goku's eyes moved from father to son, his smile disappearing swiftly. He hadn't expected this. It almost looked like some sort of stand-off, and for the life of him he wasn't sure what to make of it. He didn't expect Vegeta to change his mind about not using the boys' suits to train, but Trunks had understood the usefulness. Looking at the half-saiyan, he almost asked why the boy was discouraging Vegeta. A glimpse of Duo's wary expression made him close his mouth with wide eyes and faint warmth rising to his cheek. Surely not... "Um, guys?" The short saiyan near him moved suddenly and Goku had a sharp rush of panic when Vegeta started toward the two young males. "Vegeta-"  
  
There was something interesting about Trunks when the boy stood up to him, and Vegeta was actually tempted start something. If he hadn't heard the door slide open behind him, he might have. As it was, the sound made him pause and turn, not Goku's startled call. The namek came out for a moment, green shape turned black by the bright light behind him, and Vegeta sniffed when Goku went inside the chamber to fetch the suit. Now wasn't the time to torment his wayward 'son.' With a brief smirk at the glaring youth, he turned and resumed his place just outside the door. It would only take a moment for Goku to take them out, and then it was his turn.  
  
Before he'd left Bulma's house, she'd told Trunks that Goku would take the suit back there instead of leaving it on the tower, so Trunks used that excuse to forget about his father. That short confrontation had almost seemed like a challenge to him, and he didn't want to think about it. Duo looked at him with visible uncertainty and he forced a hesitant smile to his lips. "I forgot to tell you, Goku decided to take the suit directly to Bulma's. There isn't much room up here for it."  
  
Nodding sharply, Duo watched the lavender-haired male's face. "That's fine," he said quickly. He still felt nervous, but now he wondered if he should apologize or something. Trunks had seemed as against the idea as he was, but he thought it probably wasn't nice to be so afraid of the boy's father. But he couldn't help it. The man simply didn't seem very...safe. Someone came out of the door behind Trunks, and Duo blinked when Piccolo walked past Vegeta, launching into the sky without a single word. The black-haired saiyan looked back at him with a dark glaring smirk and Duo swallowed sharply, his muscles tense until the man disappeared into that bright doorway.   
  
Trunks was startled when Duo heaved a long sigh and seemed to slump. The boy was still standing, but his head was bowed. "Duo?" Stepping to him, he put a hand on the boy's shoulder, concerned eyes blinking when Duo gave him a dull smile.  
  
"Sorry about that," Duo muttered softly, running his fingers through his dangling bangs. "But your father's...intimidating."  
  
"I'm the one who should apologize," Trunks frowned, glancing back at the closed door. "I don't know why he said that. He hated having me there when he trained, so I *know* he wouldn't have really wanted you with him."  
  
"Well, let's just forget about him. Piccolo just took off, so Quatre should be out, right?"  
  
"Yes." Trunks blinked for a moment, wondering why the Namek hadn't just gone with Goku in his instant teleportation, but he didn't think about it for long. Duo caught his attention again with a bright, surprising smile.  
  
"Give me a lift?" His smile seemed to break away most of Trunks' clouded expression, and Duo blinked at him, tilting his head.  
  
"Oh, of course." The boy moved to retrieve Bulma's bowl and Trunks managed to return his smile as he wrapped an arm around Duo's waist. Oddly enough, it was easy to forget his father when Duo smiled like that.   
  
* * *  
  
Sandrock was already settled in Bulma's shuttle holding by the time Duo and Trunks got there. Moving past his 'ride,' Duo hurried over to his fellow pilot, ignoring the blonde boy's greeting. His eyes moved over Quatre's face for a second, then he frowned and circled the boy. Finally he stopped under confused blue-green eyes and frowned, his arms folded over his chest. "Well, that sucks."  
  
"Excuse me?" Quatre's eyes widened in surprise and he wasn't sure what to make of the boy's expression. If he hadn't known better, he'd think Duo had just insulted him. But that wasn't like the boy.  
  
"You don't look any older," Duo explained. "Oh, you're a little shaggy around the edges, but you didn't grow at all."  
  
With a faintly amused face, Quatre shook his head. "I wasn't gone *that* long, Duo. And I've probably already grown as much as I'm ever going to."  
  
"Now that's nonsense," Duo smirked, "a few months is all it takes for a growth spurt." The blonde boy's mouth opened and he interrupted merrily. "I'd bet you sprout up at *least* three inches before you're eighteen."  
  
His friend was certainly animated, and it made Quatre feel at home, somehow. Noticing the lavender-haired youth standing a foot or so away from Duo, Quatre nodded to him. "Goku said it was late, so he went home."  
  
"That's fine," Trunks said, "It *is* late. You two can come in the house and talk, if you want to. Bulma fixed up the extra bedrooms, too, for when you get tired." His gaze shifted as Duo promptly smothered a yawn, making him smirk at the boy. "Coffee, or sleep?"  
  
"Talk first, then sleep," Duo frowned, rubbing his eyes for a second before pointing at Quatre. The blonde boy blinked in surprise. "Can't sleep till he spills."  
  
A long minute passed before Quatre managed to clear the shocked expression from his face. It took a little longer to give his friend what he thought was an innocently confused look. "Spill what?"  
  
"What do you mean, spill what?" Duo prodded, taking the boy's arm and turning him toward the exit. "Tell me what it was like. I'm going in there in next, remember? So what's it like? Is there room to fight in? I can't really imagine there being that much room inside that little building."  
  
"Oh," Quatre said, a faint smile tugging his lips. "Yes, there's plenty of room, too much room, actually. It really is like an alternate dimension inside there. There's a small building, a pavilion almost, and then it's just space on all sides that stretches out...forever."  
  
Pausing in the doorway, Duo gave his comrade a long, doubtful look before shaking his head. "I guess I won't have to worry about claustrophobia, then."  
  
"No, but it's very unnerving at first, not being able to see a sky or anything above you." They moved inside quietly, following Trunks to the kitchen, and Quatre smiled when the lavender-haired teen offered to pour him some tea. "Thank you."  
  
"Well," Duo commented, flashing Trunks his own smile and grabbing a mug for the coffee sitting on the counter. "As long as there's a bed, bathroom, and plenty of food inside that...pavilion thing, I guess I'll survive."  
  
"Are you still hungry?" Trunks asked. He knew the boy probably was, so he moved to the counter after him. "Quatre?"  
  
"I'm fine, thank you."  
  
Shaking his head at the boy, Duo poured some coffee and raised it in a mock toast. "I'll live till morning. Just need something to keep me up for a little longer, then I plan to sleep for at least four hours."  
  
"You can sleep as long as you want," Trunks said, following the boy back to the table and sitting down across from him and Quatre. "I'm sure my father will be in there for a full day, so there's no rush."  
  
Duo took a long drink of the hot coffee and wagged a finger at Trunks. "I cannot allow myself to be spoiled. Believe it or not, but I actually don't sleep as much as people think. Four hours is excellent compared to trying to find time to doze during missions."  
  
His own tea was rather stale, but Quatre looked into it thoughtfully. He'd spent considerable time with Duo after they met, and he had to admit the boy had always seemed to be awake. As for himself, he wasn't really tired, but he knew he could sleep if he tried. In fact, now that Duo was silent he felt a return of his gloomy state, and sleeping it away sounded like a good idea. The violet-eyed pilot was looking at him and he sighed. "It's odd. I haven't even thought about missions in quite a while."  
  
"No wonder," Duo muttered, "six months is a long time. But I doubt there's much to think about." His eyes clouded and he snorted, shaking his head. "They've probably given us up for dead and beat OZ without us."  
  
That pessimistic statement was one Quatre would normally have countered, but he didn't feel like it at the moment. Instead, he thought about the others. Heero and Trowa had certainly met up with Wufei by now, and he wondered what they would do when they didn't find the shuttle. Even after having seen definite proof of other dimensions, after spending time in the chamber, he still didn't believe they'd fallen through some odd warp or something. He was fairly convinced they'd simply managed to find a planet far enough away from their earth that it hadn't been noted before. That was more plausible, and more hopeful. "You know," he said slowly, frowning into his cup, "we could try setting off a beacon in the shuttle. I know we can't risk taking off now, but it would at least let them know we're still alive."  
  
"Sure it would," Duo snorted, "if they're close enough to read it. But even if they are, that would be the same as us taking off, wouldn't it? I mean, think about it. If they registered a beacon from us, Trowa would definitely come to investigate it and then Cell would see his ship. It's just as dangerous as us trying to leave now."  
  
"That's true."  
  
Frowning at the boys, Trunks caught Duo's attention. "If we can't defeat Cell in his tournament, he's going to kill all of us, and destroy the entire planet. Whether he notices or not, it would be safer to try and leave now." He'd thought their shuttle wasn't ready for flight, but now he had an idea they were simply hesitating on their own and while he was glad for it, he knew it wasn't a good idea. "We could distract him long enough for you to take off. I don't he'd distract himself from us, so he probably wouldn't follow you even if he noticed."  
  
"He wouldn't have to, though, right?" Duo smirked when the half-saiyan blinked at him, and he glanced to Quatre, sharing a nod with his friend. "He could shoot us down without setting foot off the planet. In fact, we were thinking about that. Your power. It was probably one of those beams that caught us in the first place. After all, we did get hit by *something*, something our sensors didn't detect, and something that left burn marks but no debris."  
  
He could have hit himself for not thinking of that, but Trunks sufficed with a mental berating. "You're right. I've seen ki attacks shoot a long way past the edge of the planet, off into space. That probably *was* what hit you. Cell might not try to follow, but with Goku's kame-hame-ha, he wouldn't have to."  
  
"Besides that," Duo continued, "even if we managed to get away without him killing us, it wouldn't do much good. After all, if he wipes out this planet, I'm sure he's going to be looking for another target, right? Our earth was close enough for us to get here, so there's no reason he couldn't get to us."  
  
"Bulma mentioned that," Trunks sighed. He really hadn't thought that much about the actual location of the boys' home planet, and he should have. "She said they've had visitors from dozens of planets, but nothing like another earth. Her guess was that you came from a different side of the galaxy. But you're right about Cell. He *does* have Frieza's cells in him."  
  
The boy was scowling at the table and Duo raised an eyebrow curiously. "Frieza?"  
  
"It's a long story," Trunks shrugged. "I'll tell you about it tomorrow if you're still interested."  
  
"Okay," Duo nodded. "In the meanwhile, there's no point in us trying to leave before this tournament. At least here we can make a difference. Besides, what sort of fighters would we be if we turned tail now?"  
  
"You don't actually think you can take part in the tournament?" Trunks said, his eyes wide at the ridiculous notion.  
  
The teen was staring at him as if he'd just suggested self-detonation, and Duo's eyebrow twitched. "I wasn't, but what if I did? You guys didn't so much as scratch our suits, so don't try to act like it's such a crazy idea."  
  
"Physical attacks," Quatre said, his eyes catching Duo, "the energy blasts don't do anything, but physical attacks are different. If Cell's anywhere as strong as they are physically, he could demolish us."  
  
"Oh." Trunks nodded at the blonde boy and Duo frowned, not liking the two of them teaming up against him. "Well, that still doesn't mean we can't be useful. As long as we don't get close enough for Cell to use physical attacks on us, there's no problem. The Gundams can block any tricks of his, just in case he tries to blast you instead of fighting one-on-one."  
  
"It's a bad idea," Trunks said, shaking his head when the longhaired boy scowled at him.  
  
"But it isn't up to you, is it," Duo reminded him, smirking suddenly. His eyes glinted when the boy frowned at him and he propped his chin on his hand. "Goku's the leader, right? I'm sure he'd agree with me. After all, *he* was the one who said you could use us. I wouldn't be surprised if he already plans to have us there." His words obviously struck a nerve in his half-saiyan friend and Duo smiled pleasantly. That was what the boy got for placing so much worth in one person. Goku wasn't as stringent as Heero, but it was the same concept. "I'll just have to talk to him about that, tomorrow maybe."   
  
"Duo-"  
  
"So," Duo said brightly, turning to Quatre. "Did the green guy give you any trouble while you were gone?" His blonde friend's eyes widened and Duo smirked at him. "I didn't think so. He's about as friendly as Trowa. I'm glad you went in instead of me. I'd have gone absolutely nuts."  
  
"It was fine," Quatre sighed, his shoulders relaxing slowly. "The days seemed to pass quickly enough. In fact, it was a good opportunity to test Sandrocks' resistance to damage, with all the falls."  
  
"That's my fellow pilot, always thinking of his Gundam." With a bright smile, Duo finished off his coffee and pushed the cup away. His eyes twinkled and he leaned toward Quatre with a knowing look. "You keep training Sandrock the way you do, and I wouldn't be surprised if he starts fighting on his own, one of these days. I might have to let you talk to Deathscythe for me." Pale blue-green eyes blinked at him and Duo laughed softly when Quatre smiled and shook his head. "You and your Gundam..."  
  
"I don't know what I'll do when the war's over," Quatre admitted.  
  
"But first things first, right?" Silence reigned for a second, then Duo stood and flashed a grin at Trunks, the lavender-haired teen blinking up at him. "Bed time for me. How about those rooms?"  
  
Trunks nodded quickly as he stood and started for the doorway. He paused, glancing back to Quatre. "And you?" The blonde boy stood as well and he led the two to the guestrooms Bulma had readied for them. Gohan and he had the other two rooms since the other half-saiyan had wanted to stay close to the interesting strangers, but there was more than enough room in the large Capsule Corporation. Bulma's home was much larger than the dilapidated building he stayed at in his own time. His mind was still twisting around the idea of them on the battlefield when they faced Cell, but he pushed the thought aside. Despite Duo's certainty, Trunks didn't think Goku would be foolish enough to risk them like that. Using the suits to train was one thing, putting the boys in direct danger was another matter entirely.  
  
* * *  
  
The stars were bright after the unending white of the time chamber, but he couldn't tell if they looked different from the way they looked on earth. He'd never really looked at them during his brief stay there, and no one paid any attention to such things on the colonies. But Quatre looked at them now, his hands curled around the cup he'd used earlier. He would have gone to sit with Sandrock, but he didn't know if Bulma had an alarm system on the hangar, so he he'd gone outside instead. The lawn was wide, and the buildings beyond seemed far enough away that he didn't feel as crowded as he might have expected after the emptiness of the chamber. There were no lights on the lawn, and he welcomed the darkness. The kitchen had been too bright, reminding him of what he'd lost. It was over now. The time he'd spent in that chamber seemed like a brief instant in a long, long lifetime and he sighed, leaning tighter on his knees. After months of blissful, uninterrupted sleep, the nightmare had returned without fail, as if nothing had happened. Somehow, he'd hoped it was gone for good. He should have known better.  
  
Piccolo had left as soon as Goku came in, and that silent departure spoke volumes. Finishing off the long cool tea, he sighed and set the cup aside. He wouldn't gain anything from mourning what had happened. If he had any sense at all, he should have been grateful to have at least known what it was like to have someone with him, even if only for a short time. But now he wondered if it wouldn't have been better not to know. Before, he'd been alone, and reconciled to that existence. Now, he couldn't help but want it back. He tilted his head back, warm breeze ruffling his hair as he looked at the sparks filling the sky. And for a moment he thought he felt something, his eyes flying around the yard. His heart fell again as he found himself alone and he smiled sadly, wrapping his arms around his knees. What did he expect? The Namek had left without a word, and that was the best way. A complete and clean break. He knew that was best, but he couldn't help the pain that closed over his chest as he buried his face against his knees. It was a clean break, but he wanted something more, a smile, a solemn look...he wanted at least a goodbye...  
  
Something touched him and his head whipped back. His lip trembled, and he closed his mouth, blinking hot eyes at the man crouched beside him. He wanted to grab him, to bury his face against that strong chest, but he clenched his arms around his knees, holding still.  
  
The boy's eyes were far too bright, and Piccolo let out a slow sigh, sinking to his knees. This was exactly what he'd expected to find, and the very reason he'd hesitated on coming here. He hadn't planned to draw this out, knowing it would hurt that much more when the boy left the planet, but he couldn't quite resist those eyes. Quatre was obviously fighting himself, and Piccolo shook his head at the boy, his hand tightening on that slight shoulder. "I did not mean to come here."  
  
"I'm sorry..." His eyes burned fiercely, and Quatre winced when he felt dampness trail down his cheeks. This was his fault, he was to blame. With a shaky breath, he tried to smile at Piccolo, his fingers clenching the light material of his pants. "I'm sorry. You didn't have to...check on me. I'm fine."  
  
Piccolo's lips twitched at the boy's tremulous smile and he sighed, pulling Quatre against him. Arms immediately grasped his waist and he shook his head at the soft sounds muffled against his chest. "You don't look fine."  
  
He couldn't help himself. A mournful whimper escaped his lips and Quatre pressed as tightly as he could to the man's strong chest, unable to stop his racking sobs. He couldn't help it. He'd give up anything not to have this end. "I'm so sorry," he cried, his voice muffled by fabric. "I just don't...it hurts...so much..."  
  
Running light fingers over the boy's soft hair, Piccolo looked at the boy's shaking shoulders with dull eyes. "You don't want to be alone," he said, his own voice soft. "I understand."  
  
"I know it's wrong," Quatre whispered, not relinquishing his hold. "But in my heart...I don't *care* if it's wrong."  
  
"Wrong?" The boy nodded against his chest, and Piccolo sighed, his narrow eyes flicking upward. "You humans. Few people want to be alone, Quatre. You just seem to have more of a need for companionship than anyone I've ever met. There's nothing wrong with that. But I'm not the one you need." Damp eyes turned up to him and he smirked fondly at Quatre's doubting expression. "If there's something 'wrong' with us, it's me, not you. You have a world to save, and a human you love. Remember?"  
  
"Piccolo..." Part of him twisted at that calm statement and Quatre shook his head furiously. "I didn't use you--I wouldn't...I *do* care about you, I swear I do."  
  
"I wasn't doubting that," Piccolo murmured, brushing a bit of hair off the boy's forehead. "But you love that boy of yours more, don't you." Quatre's mouth opened and he sniffed softly, smiling at him. "You do. I *know* you do. And I'm certain you won't be alone when you leave here. People like you...if you tell him how you feel, I don't think you'll be disappointed."  
  
"Trowa. You don't know him," Quatre said. "I don't think I could risk telling him. I just...don't think I could do that."  
  
"You will." Uncertainty and sadness fairly radiated from the boy's downcast expression and Piccolo pushed Quatre's face down against him, his arms wrapped around the boy. He wouldn't stay long, but at least he could give him the comfort he obviously needed. This was why he'd come despite his misgivings. He'd thought it would be better to simply stay away from the boy now that they were back in the real world, but he couldn't stand the thought of Quatre like this. The young human needed someone to hold him more than anything, and Piccolo knew he was the only one who could do that right now. A small part of him darkened when he thought of the other boy, the one in space who held a 'place' in Quatre's heart, but that boy was far away. Until the two were reunited, there was something he could do to help ease that loneliness.   
  
It would have been easier if they were alone, but at least Vegeta was gone. Although Piccolo felt little shame in his actions, he knew Quatre would be hurt if anyone noticed them. One hurtful word would be enough to rip the boy to shreds, and that was one of the reasons he'd severed their tie the moment Goku had arrived in the chamber. But there wasn't much to worry about now. The only person watching them was too young to interrupt, and Piccolo was certain he wouldn't talk. He'd noticed the watcher before he went to Quatre, spotting the light hair to the side of the building. The boy had been better at sneaking before he'd turned super-saiyan. But Quatre hadn't spotted him, even though the pilot had heard him earlier. Now that the blonde boy was content, Piccolo finally turned his head to look back at he voyeur, his eyes glinting when the shadow disappeared quickly. He had an idea Gohan was embarrassed to have been noticed, but he really wasn't worried. The worst the half-saiyan would do would be to ask him about it in the morning. Until then, Quatre held precedence.  
  
* * *  
TBC  
--notes--  
Okay, forget what I said about how many parts there would be to this fic. I'm not going to skip over things to pack it all into 12 parts, and I like it better this way. So ::long pause for the Trunskx2 fans to boo:: the lemon has been postponed. Gomen, gomen! Honto! But I don't want it to be meaningless sex. I'd like to try and build a relationship, and it's going to take longer than it did with Quatre. Which reminds me, all of you squicked by the very concept of Piccolo and Quatre will just have to forgive me. That wasn't just sex either, so it can't be forgotten with the snap of a finger. I know, I'm defensive, but I haven't worked on this fic in a long time, and the biggest response I remember getting was complaints about that pairing. It's unique and I happen to like the idea. Besides, who but Piccolo is single and old enough to be paired up with the little sweetheart? ::silence:: That's what *I* thought. ^_^' 


End file.
